Snow in July
by The Name Is Not Zippy
Summary: When Raven is pushed to her breaking point during a scuffle with a dangerous, unstable arsonist with the ability to control extreme temperatures, Beast Boy must keep her and their blossoming relationship from causing any unwanted harm as the Titans hunt the super villain. Rated T for violence, some language, and adult themes. BBRae. Set two months after Blood Bonding.
1. Outliers

***A/N* It was requested, and here it is. The semi-sequel to Blood Bonding. A word of warning to fans of the previous story, this will not be predominantly rom-com like the last one. I wanted to depart from the cutesy tone of the previous story and write a more serious, action-oriented story. But fear not, fans of the original, this is still a BBRae fic at heart, so expect some good old fluffy goodness woven into this new story. I hope you'll enjoy it just as much as the last one, as I'm pouring my all into this. Enjoy! *A/N* **

Two months. Two long, humid, happy months. In May, Raven finally worked up the courage to do it. And the result was more than she could have ever anticipated. They went to see a double feature on a Friday night, just to see if they could work with each other. They wound up going every night that week, watching all fourteen movies shown, be they quality, average, or terrible. Of course, the films were simply a backdrop. They attended to spend time with one another.

Beast Boy was alarmed at how quickly he became attracted to Raven. Granted, he had sometimes bandied the idea of them together, but he always thought it laughable, since she was practically his polar opposite. But all of a sudden, there they were, sharing a kiss in the darkened common room. He began to really appreciate many things about her. Her razor sharp wit, her cool-headed sarcasm, the way the shadows of her hood illuminated her violet eyes, he grew to love it all.

Raven never hated Beast Boy, even if they got on each other's nerves at the drop of a hat. Granted, it took some time to realize that she was sweet on him, and she herself could never explain why it had happened all of a sudden. Given her emotional release after Trigon's downfall, she surmised that these feelings must have been lying dormant for a long time, because when they came, they hit her like a runaway train.

Two months came and went, and life at the Tower was fairly normal for everyone. The two of them kept most of their romantic banter reserved for private moments only, as to escape the heckling from Robin and Cyborg that was sure to follow. Starfire was overjoyed that such a relationship had appeared so suddenly, but under strict rules set by both Raven and Beast Boy, she kept most of this joy internal. The five teens functioned as well as they ever did, taking down every adversary that came their way with the same quality of teamwork.

But as the days grew hotter, the Titans grew more restless. One particularly sweltering afternoon, Starfire brought up the idea of heading somewhere to cool off as a group. After some deliberating, the five of them decided on Jump City Rapids, the local water park. Raven only agreed to go if she could do as she pleased without complaint from the others.

They got themselves dressed in appropriate swimwear, scraped together whatever poolside items they could find, and headed off on the highway in the T-Car. When they arrived, one of the managers, who happened to be a big fan of theirs, invited them to the front of the line and offered them the space that was usually reserved for parties. Despite Robin's insistence that such an offering wasn't necessary, they ended up staying there.

Cyborg, delighted that there was a barbeque available to use, excused himself to go grab some cutlets from the supermarket a few miles away from the park. Raven took her iPod and a lengthy novel she had been working on, and after putting on some suntan lotion, went over to one of the pool cots and sat herself down to read while the others took off to enjoy the water.

Raven couldn't help but grin slightly while watching Beast Boy play with a group of younger kids. They had managed to surround him and were attempting to shove him into the hot tub.

"No! Don't! That stuff's radioactive!" Beast Boy protested melodramatically before elaborately pratfalling into the bubbling water below. Staying underwater for a few moments, he burst into sight again and grabbed the nearest kid. "Boil with me!" he exclaimed with exaggerated villainy, dragging him into the water. The other kids squealed with delight and jumped into the water after their comrade.

Raven exhaled. He was way too good with little kids. She could hardly handle three at a time, and there he was with about nine. She returned to her novel, and briefly scanned the pages for her stopping place. Her iPod reached the next song, some alternative rock song she forgot she put on her playlist.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and looked up to see Starfire standing over her, holding an ice cream cone and wearing a pair of sunglasses.

"I believe this is your flavor of choice, yes?" she said, offering Raven the treat. Plain vanilla. Perfect.

"Thanks." She said, taking the cone. "Where'd you get those?"

Starfire beamed and took off her shades. "Friend Robin purchased them for me! Are they to your liking?"

"They look good on you." Raven stated shortly. That wasn't saying much. Starfire looked all but radiant in everything. Raven simply wore her one piece indigo swimsuit and black sandals.

"You should come join us in the water. We are playing 'Marco and Polo.'" Starfire knew Raven would say no, but she always at least invited her friend to participate, hoping one of these days she would actually put her book down and socialize.

Before Raven made her predictable response, a shrill scream shook the air. Raven removed her ear-buds and looked towards the noise, and Starfire squinted in the sun before adorning her glasses a second time.

A girl a few years older than Raven had her arm rigidly pointed at one of the pool filters. Pitch black ooze had emerged from the opening, clouding the water. Nearby swimmers backpedaled away from the cloud, while one of the lifeguards grabbed his bullhorn and began shouting into it.

"Everyone out of the water, now! There's been a chemical spill! Everyone out of the water!"

"What kind of pool chemical is black?" Raven asked, more to herself than anyone else. The bathers obediently complied with the order and scrambled out of the water.

"Aaw, what the heck?" Beast Boy whined, climbing out of the water with his young fans.

Robin had dashed across the nearby field and appeared alongside Starfire. "What's going on?" he inquired urgently.

"Chemical spill." Raven said.

When the last bather had exited the water, the lifeguard who had ushered everybody out of the water previously turned towards Robin, and began staring at him directly. He was a young, well-built young man with very short blonde hair and a sinister look in his eye.

"Who is that?" Starfire asked.

The lifeguard raised his bullhorn again, and shouted one word with all his might, his amplified voice nearly making the water tremble.

"TITANS!"

Almost immediately, he removed his Jump City Rapids T-shirt and revealed a bizarre apparatus attached to his chest. A dial, seemingly molded into his skin, sat upon his sternum just above his ribcage. The dial was split vertically into two different colors, red on his right and blue on his left, and each side had an appropriately colored tube travelling outwards and ending at his shoulders.

"PUT UP YOUR DUKES!" he shouted into his bullhorn, before tossing it aside and cannonballing into the pool. The second he was submerged, the surface of the water froze solid. Beast Boy stumbled over to the group. "Who is this guy?!"

Robin narrowed his eyes. "Whoever he is, he's barking up the wrong tree. Titans! G-"

Robin couldn't even finish his order before part of the ice in front of them exploded outward as the lifeguard catapulted himself towards them. Reacting instantly, Robin aimed a heavy kick at their attacker, who countered by slamming his fist into Robin's femur and landing in front of them, crouched with his arms outstretched and his head bowed.

The others readied themselves as he assumed a standing position. He grinned smugly.

"I don't know who you are or why you're doing this, but you're in way over your head." Robin warned, cracking his knuckles.

"Who needs a reason nowadays?" the lifeguard replied. Robin gritted his teeth and threw a punch, which was blocked with startling precision by the lifeguard's left hand. Using his right, he seized Robin's fist. Robin exclaimed in pain as a sizzling sound became more audible, and wrenched himself from the grasp. Starfire gasped at the sight of Robin's newly burnt knuckles, bright red and shiny.

Beast Boy morphed into a mountain goat and head butted the villain's chest, who spiraled backwards and landed on the frozen pool, sliding a few paces before getting up again.

"Not bad." The lifeguard called out, steam rising from his right hand. "But it'll take more than that to beat me. You can call me Weatherman, by the way."

Starfire rose into the air, her eyes glowing menacingly. "Man or woman, you shall not harm my friends." She stated, before launching a starbolt in Weatherman's direction. Weatherman simply moved to the side and allowed the energy to whizz past him, slamming into the ice and leaving a nearly perfectly circular hole.

"Aim's a bit off, sweet cheeks." he jeered.

Robin sprinted onto the ice, Starfire rocketing after him and Raven cautiously following.

"Three of a kind, let's do this!" Weatherman exclaimed. He placed his right palm on the ice and melted the ice he was standing on, disappearing under the water. Beast Boy leapt into the water, turning himself into a sting ray.

Robin slid to a stop. "I can't see him." He said.

"Azarath, Metrion, ZINTHOS!" Raven exclaimed, hoisting a lifeguard stand into the air and hurtling it into the ice, shattering all of it in one go and grabbing Robin under the armpits to make sure he wouldn't fall in.

Weatherman was revealed underneath the water, wrestling with the bright green sting ray underwater. Expertly, he seized Beast Boy's stinger, and managed to jab it into its owner's abdomen.

"GARFIELD!" Raven exclaimed.

Beast Boy changed back to his normal form, clutching at his stomach. Blood leaked out into chlorinated water, clouding up the blue with red.

Robin dived into the water, both fists outstretched, slamming into Weatherman's head as hard as he could. The villain winced, but swiftly created a steep column of ice beneath him, zooming upwards and taking care to have the ice collide with Robin's head.

As Weatherman rose, Raven advanced towards him, eyes aglow and her hands swirling with dark energy.

"Well, well, look at you, Gothika." Weatherman mused. "You should wear less more often."

"Save it." Raven barked, surrounding Weatherman's hands with black energy and hoisting him into the air. Starfire, seeing her chance, sent a starbolt in his direction. Almost perfectly on target, the bolt struck the immobilized villain directly in his sweet spot: the dial on his chest. Weatherman bellowed in pain, his suspended legs briefly flailing about. His eyes appeared to flood with chemicals, his right with a scarlet fluid, his left with an indigo. He gnashed his teeth and, surprisingly, grinned at Starfire, the brightly-colored fluid leaking from his eyes like tears.

"Not a bad shot, but you just made a mistake." He grunted.

Nearly instantly, the air above Raven crystallized, forming an umbrella of ice which heavily fell upon her, forcing her out of the air. She plummeted several feet into the water below beneath the freezing weight.

Weatherman used Starfire's brief moment of shock to his advantage, landing back on his altar of ice and extending his right hand in the Tamaranian's direction. Starfire yelped as she felt a scalding heat on her belly. A perfect imprint of a human hand had begun burning itself into her skin.

"See, the more fluid I have in my bloodstream, the further my powers extend. And you just knocked a lot of fluid free, sweet cheeks." Weatherman's victory was short lived, because a bird-a-rang struck him on the side of the head, causing him to stumble, breaking his concentration.

"Starfire, now!" Robin ordered, standing on the side of the pool, more weapons in hand.

Starfire nodded and turned her attention towards Weatherman. Before he had time to react, she swooped towards him, tackling him off of his perch. He went into free-fall, Starfire chasing him through the air. Gathering green energy upon her fist, she slugged him in the stomach, forcibly turning him upside down in the middle of falling. He made a short noise of pain before colliding with the surface of the water.

Raven, trapped beneath her prison of ice, dimly perceived someone else falling into the water with her. She struggled to throw the freezing mass off of her, unable to speak her mantra due to being underwater. All at once, a green narwhal head-butted the ice off of her, she swam to the top of the water. Her head burst into the open air, and she gratefully inhaled before being reduced to a coughing fit. Beast Boy reverted back to his human form and grabbed her shoulders.

"You alright?!" he exclaimed.

Raven took a moment to stop coughing then nodded gratefully. "Yeah, thanks." She said. Then she noticed the wound Weatherman left behind on Beast Boy's stomach. "Are YOU alright? You're bleeding."

"I'll be fine. Right now, we've gotta stop Frosty the Snowman up there."

On cue, the pillar of ice Weatherman created crumbled into diamond dust, the tiny particles of ice glittering in the air as they floated to the ground.

"Snow in July." Raven stated.

"Watch it!" Robin exclaimed suddenly.

Raven seized Beast Boy's head and dragged him below the surface of the water just as an out of control Starfire hurtled through the space they once occupied. Finding her center of balance, she looked down with disdain at her arms, now covered in hand-shaped burns, her skin beginning to blister.

Weatherman rose from the water on a platform of ice.

"How's that for a tan?" he goaded, giving an oily grin. He turned to Robin and raised his eyebrow.

"You guys ain't half bad. I was honestly expecting a shut-out on my part."

"Why are you doing this?" Robin demanded.

"Like I said, I don't need a reason. I guess I just wanted to work up a sweat today."

Robin gritted his teeth. "I hope you know that you're going to go to prison for this."

"Hey, you swung first." Came the curt reply.

Robin moved to attack, but a green shark beat him to the punch. Careening out of the water, Beast Boy, now a full sized tiger shark, sank his teeth into the villain's leg. Weatherman howled in pain and readied himself for an assault.

"Azarath, Metrion, LAQUEUM!" A wave of black energy surrounded Weatherman and cocooned around his body, swaddling him and hoisting him into the air.

Raven held her prey aloft as her eyes glowed with ancient power.

"You stabbed my boyfriend. Time to return the favor." She hissed. Weatherman, in spite of the danger he was in, laughed spitefully.

"My aim was off, actually. I was going for his heart."

Raven's anger flared up like an explosion inside of her. Twisting her fingers, Weatherman's body began to be bent out of proportion. His arms, forced backwards, became in danger of snapping.

"Raven, DON'T!" Robin called out. "He isn't worth it!"

Raven ignored her leader's order, beginning to twist her victim's torso backwards while keeping his legs towards her. This elicited another cry of pain from Weatherman, and Raven grinned evilly.

"Like breaking a twig…" she crooned, awaiting the sharp crack that signified a broken spine.

"STOP IT, RAVEN!" Beast Boy screamed. Raven's sadistic trance was broken when she saw Beast Boy staring at her pleadingly.

"You're going to murder him! You know you don't want that!"

Raven looked back to the villain, frozen in a rictus of pain, then back to Beast Boy. Her telekinetic grip loosened, and she brought Weatherman back to a proportional position, still keeping him trapped in her tomb of energy.

Bringing herself down to the ground along with Weatherman, she allowed Robin to extract his handcuffs and pacify him. She then released her psychic bond, hanging her head and sighing.

Beast Boy hurried over to her. "Raven, what were you thinking?!" he snapped, grabbing her shoulders.

"I'm sorry… I just…" Raven uttered weakly.

"Why? Why did you do it? WHY?!" Beast Boy demanded.

"He…hurt you, I couldn't stop myself."

Beast Boy's expression softened as his eyes became wide. "Raven…" he began, but could find no words suitable to follow. Raven pulled him into a desperate hug, and he slowly put his arms around her too.

"I didn't mean it." Raven said, in an uncharacteristically frail tone of voice.

"Ssshhh, it's alright. You _did _stop yourself." Beast Boy whispered comfortingly, hiding his surprise to the best of his abilities.

Weatherman, hands forced cuffed behind his back and lying on his stomach, looked up at the embraced couple.

"Ain't that cute?" he called out, with the same slimy grin he used previously. Robin grabbed him by the hair.

"You're lucky to be alive. Don't push it any further." He whispered dangerously.

Starfire landed beside Robin.

"What are we to do with this miscreant?" she said, giving a disgusted look towards the apprehended Weatherman.

"We'll leave him here for the cops. I'm sure somebody's called them by now."

Starfire looked towards Beast Boy and Raven, still in each other's arms.

"Are they well?"

Robin gave her a grave look. "I hope so. We'll check on them later."

"Not bad for a first round." Weatherman uttered. "Too bad there weren't five of you."

Starfire clenched her fists. "Clorbag valblernelk!" she spat.

"If I spoke Martian, I'd be insulted." Robin seized their assailant's hair again.

"Don't make me drop you in the deep end, you sociopath."

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but first…" Weatherman bellowed the last of his sentence at the top of his lungs. "YOU'VE GOTTA THROW 'EM!"

Robin dropped Weatherman at that. "He's crazy, leave him for the judge." Robin and Starfire began walking towards their other teammates before Weatherman called out again.

"Hey, you know this isn't over, right?"

The two kept walking.

"Keep on your guard. I'll be back. And I ain't giving a warning."

Ignored once more, Weatherman chuckled hoarsely and rested his chin on the ground.

"Oh, man, this is gonna be fun."

Cyborg screeched to a halt in front of the entrance to the park. Five police cars, lights blazing, stood parked in front of the entrance, along with a swarm of paparazzi and a few news trucks.

"I leave for a minute, and of course, something happens…" he grumbled, parking the T-Car and stepping out into the muggy summer air.

One female newscaster noticed the approaching teen and feverishly signaled for her cameraman to follow her.

"Oh, here's the absent team member now. Cyborg, a few questions, please?"

Cyborg stopped and allowed the newscaster to stand next to him. She was a fairly short woman, so he could look down at her easily.

"Cyborg, are you aware of the events that unfolded at Jump City Rapids this afternoon?"

"I am now." He replied.

"If you don't mind, where were you when the pool was overtaken?"

"I needed to go pick up some groceries. Is everyone all right?"

"We were wondering the same thing, but from the look of things, the other Titans seem to be alright, and the police have a young man in custody."

"Okay, thanks." Cyborg hurried away into the crowd, despite the newscaster's request for a few more inquiries. Cyborg shoved his way through the crowd, dismissing the rude remarks or demands he received. He eventually found Robin, now fully dressed in his uniform and clutching a two colored device in one hand, speaking with a police lieutenant with a heavy grey moustache.

"We found the remnants of an ink bomb in the pool filter where the supposed chemical spill took place." Robin said, the lieutenant nodding and scratching something on his notepad. "This dial was held in his chest cavity by a crude organic socket. It seems to give him the ability to briefly create extreme temperatures. Without it, he should be powerless."

"And can you identify this man?" The policeman asked.

"We don't have a definite identity, but the preconception that he was an employee here is entirely false, he acquired a uniform from a lifeguard we found tied up in a sprinkler riser room."

Seeing that Robin was busy, Cyborg turned to look for the others. Spotting a mane of blazing red hair, he hurried over to Starfire, still wearing her new shades and speaking to a different newscaster, a male with glasses.

"I am afraid I do not know that." She said patiently, regarding a question about the nature of Weatherman's device. "But it is capable of making the air around the user very cold or hot, as you can see." She revealed her burnt arms, and the newscaster winced.

"I'm very sorry, that looks painful. Do you know if-" The newscaster was cut off when Cyborg stepped in between them.

"Sorry, no more questions." He said gruffly, taking Starfire aside. After they were out of sight, Cyborg gave Starfire a look of utter confusion.

"What's going on? Why didn't anyone contact me?"

"There was a miscreant who attacked us, it all happened very suddenly." Starfire explained. "He is now under the arrest."

"Did he do that to your arms?"

"Yes. He was a violent adversary."

Cyborg growled. "He better hope he doesn't get paroled while I'm around."

Starfire looked about, ignoring the flash of cameras and chatter from onlookers. "I have not seen Friend Beast Boy or Friend Raven since the arrival of the crew of cameras." She fretted.

"You know Raven hates all the attention, Beastie probably just went to keep her company."

Starfire shook her head. "I fear that is not the reason. Friend Raven grew very dark with our opponent today. There was a near casualty."

Cyborg's eyes widened. "What? Why did she...?"

"The answer escapes me as well. But for now, they are a wall."

"AWOL, Star."

"As I said, a wall."

Robin noticed the two chatting and beckoned them over urgently. As they approached, a few more reporters tried to grab their attention, and one brave shutterbug stepped directly in front of them to snap a close-up shot. He backed away when Cyborg drew too close, quickly apologizing.

"What'd I miss?" Cyborg quipped, attempting to lighten the mood, but withdrew when Robin kept up his grim expression.

"We've got a solid identification of Weatherman." He said, turning to the moustache-d lieutenant.

"His name is Anton Scissors. He's the 24 year old nephew of physicist Gustavos Scissors. He spent four years in Cedar Grove Correctional for attempted arson. Apparently, the boy's very intelligent, but has been under psychiatric evaluation since middle school."

"And is there any clue as to where he got this temperature device?" Robin inquired.

"The PIAS recently reported a break in with many experimental parts stolen."

"PIAS?" Cyborg questioned.

"The Pembrook Institution of Atmospheric Study." The lieutenant said. "That's the institute where Gustavos Scissors works."

"Sounds like a reasonable connection to me." Robin said. "Thank you for your cooperation, Lt. Wynorski."

"It's been a pleasure as always, Mr. Grayson." Wynorski said, tucking his pen and pad into his pockets. He then hurried over to a few other officers, who were doing their best to keep the crowd at bay.

"Why didn't y'all contact me?" Cyborg demanded.

"I'm sorry, Cyborg, but it all happened so suddenly. There wouldn't have been much you could have done to help even if we had, it was over in the blink of an eye."

Cyborg sighed. "Alright, fine, but have you seen BB or Rae anywhere?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing, I need to have a word with them."

"Have you tried their communicators?" Starfire inquired.

Robin flipped his communicator open. "Calling Beast Boy or Raven." He said.

A few moments of static, and Beast Boy's face appeared on-screen.

"Hey, Robin." He greeted, a hollow look in his eye.

"Where are you two? You can't just vanish like that." Robin said sternly.

"Look, we'll meet you back at the tower in a little while, okay? We have some stuff to work out."

"You didn't answer my question." Robin said.

"Just… look… I know we're in trouble, just give us some time. We'll face the music later. Out."

Robin couldn't get another word out before the image cut to static.

"Damn it!" he cursed, clapping the device shut.

"Robin, I think this is the best choice." Starfire said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Raven was quite shaken after her… outburst."

"Yeah, dude. Just leave them be for now. We'll talk about it as a team later.'

Robin tucked his communicator away. "Fine. But we have to approach this candidly. If Beast Boy was a second too late, Scissors would have been a corkscrew. That's inexcusable."

***A/N* Already a bit different, ain't it? But again, fret not, shippers. There's some tenderness coming up. Hang on to your hats! *A/N***


	2. Flash Flood

***A/N* I'm back. This chapter was very tricky to write, especially the second part. Raven's state of mind ain't easy to put on paper. But I'm satisfied with what I've produced, so I hope you'll find it satisfying, too. A small warning, but this movie contains major spoilers for the film Opera, but I doubt any of you really care, so... Enjoy! *A/N***

"99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer…"

Anton Scissors sat handcuffed and shirtless in the back of a police car, being driven downtown to the station. Despite his situation, he was all smiles, singing loudly and drumming his feet on the ground. The dial in his chest was now absent, leaving a small metal indentation above his sternum, two red lines marking where the tubules once were.

The officers up front, Officer Drake and Officer Moore, exchanged disbelieving looks. Scissors noticed this motion and stopped singing, giving an exaggerated grin to the cops up front.

"Hey… I recognize you." He said, turning to Drake. "Yeah, weren't you the guy that caught me at Trent's house? Drake, right?"

Officer Drake sighed. "Yes, I was, Anton. You were trying to light wet newspapers on fire on his front porch."

Anton looked flattered. "You _do _remember!" he exclaimed. "Long time, no see, buddy!"

Drake, a heavy-set African-American man in his mid-thirties, looked into the rear view mirror at his prisoner.

"We aren't friends, Anton. I'm actually very upset that I had to pick you up this afternoon."

Anton's face fell. "Drake… I thought you'd be happy to see me again." He said, his voice full of hurt.

"I was very disappointed to hear that you broke the law again. How long ago did you make parole, eight weeks? Anton, what are your parents going to think?"

Anton shrugged. "Who gives a damn? Dad gave up on me when I was still learning to walk, Mom's off with Trent… And I don't think Uncle Gus would care if I jumped off of the Chrysler Building."

Officer Moore, a younger white woman with blonde hair tied in a ponytail, turned to Anton.

"Doesn't that make you sad? That nobody out there is upset to see you leave again? Look at all you've thrown away."

Anton shook his head. "Nope. All I threw away was a bunch of people who'd rather have a dog to take care of than me."

And with that, he went back to singing.

"98 bottles of beer on the wall, 98 bottles of beer…"

Moore looked to Drake, who shook his head and mouthed the word "crazy."

At a red light, Anton spoke up again.

"So… you guys think I did alright against the Titans today?"

Drake looked into the mirror again. "No. As a matter of fact, they kicked you into next month."

Anton chuckled. "Oh, come on, I didn't do too bad for my first time. It was all Raven, really." He smiled greasily. "She's pretty hot, if I don't mind me saying. Next time I see her, I'll have to get her number."

Drake laughed shortly. "Next time? There isn't going to be a next time, Scissors! You're going to be spending 'next time' in a strait jacket."

Anton extended his lower lip, making a pouting expression. "Says you."

Anton remained silent after this. The three rode in silence for a while. The silence was broken when Officer Moore spoke up again.

"Do you smell that?"

Officer Drake wrinkled his nose. "Yeah, I do. What is that?" The air had become permeated with a hot chemical smell, like melting metal.

Drake turned back to Anton, who was lazily staring out the window.

"Uh, Harry." Moore said, turning his attention to the dashboard. A small blue light had blinked to life above the odometer reading "Check Brakes."

"Great." Drake said. Before he could make his next complaint, another light blinked to life, red this time, reading "Check Drive Shaft."

"What the hell is wrong with this piece of…" Another light. "Tire Pressure Low." The car gave a pained wheeze and grinded to a halt in the middle of the overpass.

Anton leered at the two confused officers. "Car trouble? Yeah, sorry guys. Tell me how it works out." Anton then got up from his seat and vanished through the floor.

"What in the..?!" Drake and Moore exited the car immediately, looking into the back seat. A hole, seemingly burned through the bottom of the car, glowed with heat, and molten metal dripped from the sides. The hole bored all the way through the bottom the car, so far through that the two cops could see the freeway's pavement.

Anton rolled out from underneath the car, and sprinted towards the guard rail. Drake and Moore made chase, but both slipped on a patch of black ice Anton placed in front of them. Moore managed to fall onto her rear, her heels sliding out from under her, but Drake fell forward and his head met the road painfully, bouncing and leaving a large contusion.

Anton, now perched atop the guard rail, separated his hands after melting a few of the chain links on his cuffs. The vehicles behind the stalled car screeched to a halt, and onlookers chattered to each other and pointed to the perpetrator.

"Sorry, Harry, But there _is_ going to be a next time. You think taking away my dial takes away my powers? I still have fluid in my blood, you know." Anton said smugly. Officer Moore drew her pistol.

"Drop down from there, NOW!" she ordered.

Anton shrugged. "Okay."

He fell backwards off of the overpass, the crowd gasping in horror. Moore hurried over to the rail and looked over. Anton was nowhere in sight.

"Goddamn!" she exclaimed, hurrying over to the radio.

"Dispatch, we have a 10-78 and a 10-56a! I repeat, 10-78! Anton Scissors has leapt off of the I-74 overpass!

Raven, cloak on and hood up, stared out at the ocean. Standing out on the end of a dock at the harbor, she watched the grey water naturally sway back and forth. A few men working on a nearby loading crew watched her curiously. She was tempted to shout at them to screw off, but that wouldn't do anything except make her feel worse.

"Rae."

Raven instantly recognized the voice that came a few yards away from her. She couldn't bring herself to face him, so she simply remained still, studying the steely water below.

"Raven, I'm not going anywhere without you."

Raven ignored his voice again. She just didn't want to face the embarrassment. She had to stop herself from flinching when a set of arms embraced her from behind and he rested his chin on her left shoulder.

"Beast Boy, please… I'm not in the mood."

"Neither am I. I'd rather be back at the Tower, personally."

Raven took his hands and squeezed them firmly. "Garfield…"

"Raven?"

"Do you… want to know why Opera is my favorite movie?"

Beast Boy, a bit taken aback by the weird inquiry, moved his head back, but soon rested it back on her shoulder so his mouth was facing her ear.

"If it'll make you feel better, tell me. You said you could relate to it or whatever, right..?"

"In the film, the main character…"

"We watched it together, remember?" Beast Boy whispered.

"…discovers that the man tormenting her is the ex-lover of her sadistic Mother. She defeats him in the end, and she says, 'It's not true! I'm not like my Mother! Nothing like her, nothing at all!'"

"Rae, I remember." Beast Boy insisted gently.

"The first time I saw that scene, I remember exactly what I did. I stood up, pointed at the screen, and said 'That's me.' Just like that. And it was true, it was like the story was made for me. I know that I come from a lineage of pure, unabashed evil. But that isn't me. I was like the girl in the movie. I fought back against my 'destiny' for hurting others. That expressed my moral compass perfectly."

Raven took a moment to swallow at a growing lump in her throat as she stepped away from Beast Boy.

"But," she said, her voice wavering. "Look at what I did. I nearly killed a man, and I _liked_ doing it. That goes against everything I've worked to achieve. Every time I've meditated, every time I've fought against my own emotions, I've been fighting against the evil inside of me. And it all came spilling out of me in a split second. Everything I did to prove I wasn't like my Father, gone! Even after I prove that I'm more powerful than him, he _still_ beats me!"

"Now hold on…"

"All I've done my entire life is try and cleanse myself of the filth my Father left inside me! Well, now I know that I'll never be able to, because I _am_ that filth! I'm just like Trigon!"

Raven drew a shuddering breath. Lights around her became bleary and pointed as tears began welling up in her eyes. She couldn't keep her lower lip from trembling.

"Raven…"

Raven simply shook her head.

"You don't understand what it's like… When all you want to do is help other people, but every time you try, you do harm…"

Beast Boy, at this point, had no idea what to do. He had to admit, he hadn't seen this coming, but he understood why she was so stricken; the defeat of Trigon had given Raven another chance to live out her life without her demon instincts taking over, and all of a sudden, they come back, not only intensely, but publicly. He would have been devastated if it had happened to him. Now he needed to do something, quick. The first thing that came to mind was to cradle her in his arms and tell her everything was going to be fine, but he knew that wouldn't be strong enough to keep her from slipping any further into misery. What could he say? He had to think of something…

"Raven, look at me." He said.

Raven shook her head.

"Rae, please."

Raven slowly raised her head to look up at the changeling. A few teardrops were on the verge of slipping from her eyes.

"I knew it." He said

"Kn-knew what?"

"You're crying."

Raven's brows knit in anger.

"How…how could…" she began.

"Raven, demons don't cry."

Raven stopped formulating her retort, and cruel irony dictated a few tears to come loose and trail down her flushed cheeks.

"Demons don't protect hundreds of people. Demons don't risk their lives for people they love. And demons especially don't go on dates with green idiots like me!"

Raven sniffled, appreciating Beast Boy's attempt at levity, even if it didn't work.

"Raven, don't you see? You didn't lose anything today, you _gained_ something! You showed all of us that the good inside you is so much bigger than the evil! You can stop your evil side from having its way, even when you're at your angriest! You're _nothing_ like your Dad, understand me? You do good, you laugh, you cry, you make other people happy! You aren't a demon! You're a beautiful, caring, wonderful girlfriend!"

Beast Boy immediately wished he could have taken that last statement back. It had involuntarily slipped out, and the effect was clear. Raven flushed a deep red, and, in a rare display of femininity, put a hand over her mouth in shock.

Before he could refute his last statement, Beast Boy was nearly knocked onto the ground by Raven. For a moment, he thought that she was attacking him, and would have forced her off if he didn't realize how tightly she was holding onto him. He felt her body shake as her emotional wall finally cracked, finally allowing herself a good, honest cry.

Beast Boy smiled and returned her hug, softly rubbing her back. Now was a good time to go with Plan A.

"It's okay, just let it all out…"

Neither of them remembered how long they stayed together on the loading dock. So much communication was given off with barely any words, only Beast Boy's occasional reminder for Raven to catch her breath.

When Raven's crying finally lost all of its fuel some time later, she retracted herself from Beast Boy's shoulder. Her eyes were red and somewhat puffy, and a small amount of residue was left beneath her nose, which she wiped away on her sleeve.

"Sorry about your shirt." She said. Beast Boy looked down at the stain Raven left behind on his Hawaiian shirt.

"A little snot never hurt anyone." He said. "You feel any better?"

"Yes. I needed that." she nodded. "Thank you for everything you said."

"Hey, I meant every word." He said, putting a hand on her cheek. She leaned into his palm for a few moments, and allowed him to briefly run his fingers through her soft, dark hair.

"We should head back." Raven said.

"What should we tell the others?" Beast Boy asked.

"The truth."

"You sure? Robin'll kill us."

"I think we'll survive being chewed out. It's nothing you aren't used to, anyway."

Beast Boy grinned. "The old Raven's back." Raven gave her trademark smirk before she put her hood down.

"I'm not sure what came over me. I can't remember the last time I really fell apart like that."

"There's nothing wrong with falling apart every now and again, it does a person good. I would have been pissed off at myself too, but you don't have to be anymore. You stopped it, and no one got hurt. If you ever need to ruin my shirt again, I'll be there."

Raven raised an eyebrow, but a smile ghosted her face before she pecked him on the nose.

"Don't expect it anytime soon."

***A/N* Poor Raven was just too upset with herself to hold back her pain anymore, but she's lucky that she's got someone who's willing to listen to her most personal dilemmas without a second thought. And now Weatherman is back in action, so Jump City's in for some serious trouble. Until the next time. *A/N* **


	3. The Drawing Board

***A/N* And I'm back. Firing these out like crazy, aren't I? This chapter actually has little to no BBRae in it, sorry, Fluff seekers. But fear not, it's still coming, we just need to break a few eggs before we can make our omelette. Enjoy! *A/N***

"Breaking news, a convicted young man made a seemingly impossible escape through a police car this afternoon, only to leap off of the overpass he escaped onto. 24 year old Anton Scissors, a recently paroled attempted arsonist, was arrested for assault and disturbing the peace at Jump City Rapids with some form of stolen biological weapon. The Teen Titans, who were present, apprehended the young man and placed him under arrest. Amazingly, Scissors escaped the car he was inside, through the bottom. Officer Andrea Moore describes the situation."

"Scissors was handcuffed and seemingly pacified in the back of our vehicle, and all of a sudden, all manner of technical problems began happening. We were unsure of the nature of these issues until Scissors fled through a hole he had created at the bottom of the car. We were under the assumption that these powers given to him by this weapon he had stolen were inert now that it was removed from his possession, but apparently, that is not the case."

"Officer Moore attempted to get Scissors back into the vehicle before he leapt over the edge of the I-74 overpass. As of yet, no body has been found and one officer is in the hospital with a serious concussion. More to come on this story as it develops…"

Allan Braintree turned the radio down as a customer entered his shop. A young man with short blonde hair, clad in red swim trunks and a black shirt that read "One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila, Floor."

"Afternoon." Braintree said, nodding to the young man. The nod was returned as he approached the counter.

"You sell guns here?"

Braintree smirked. "Among other firearms, yes, we do sell guns. At affordable prices, 360 days a year. What can I do you for?"

The young man glanced around for a moment before scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"It's a little embarrassing, but my friends want to take me shooting this weekend, and I don't have a gun to speak of. Do you have anything that a newbie like me could handle?"

"Well, it depends on what you're looking for. Are you looking for a handgun, or something more potent like a shotgun or rifle?"

"Something that isn't too heavy and doesn't have a lot of kickback."

Braintree thought for a moment, before snapping his fingers.

"I got just the thing. Give me a second."

Allan ducked beneath the counter and removed a black object.

"That's a gun?" the young man asked, alarmed at the strange shape of the object.

"Yes sir! This is a Kel-Tec Sub 2000 9mm Carbine. It's foldable, only about four pounds, take a look."

Braintree unfolded the rifle, allowing it to take on its effective shape.

"See, what makes this little beauty so easy to use is that it fires the same ammo as your standard 9 mill pistol, but since you've got this nice stock on the end, there's not as much kickback to it and you can fire much faster. The Kel-Tec 2K is a personal favorite of mine, it's the perfect on-the-go rifle."

The young man nodded, pretending to understand everything Allan was saying. "So how much is it?"

"It's usually about 1K, but I'll give you it for eight hundred. Slap an extra fifty on that and you'll get a nice laser sight to boot."

"And the ammo?"

"Twenty each."

"Done. Let me get my wallet." The young man put a hand in his pocket and rifled around

Allan grinned. "Good to see you're so eager. I gotta tell you, there are some people who could look at everything I got in here, ask about all of it, and then say they were 'just browsing.' Now, do you know the basics of gun cleaning? Cause I got some nice-"

The young man moved to take something out of his pocket, but instead nimbly grabbed the gun shop owner's hands, seated atop the counter. Allan barely had time to react before he felt his fingers go entirely numb. Looking down, he saw both of his hands were now frozen solid and trapped in place.

"What in… what the hell did you just DO?!" Braintree exclaimed.

"Sorry man, I'm a bit short on cash right now, think you can put this on my tab?" The customer picked up the carbine and wandered over to the ammo shelves.

Allan struggled to remove his hands from the counter, but they refused to budge, they were attached to the counter as if they were a part of it.

"You little thieving coward! Why don't you just shoot me in the head?"

"I don't need to. Besides, it's a bit more fun to watch you squirm." The stranger scooped up some ammo boxes and stuck them in his pockets.

"Anyway, it was nice doing business with you, Deliverance. I'll see you around." The young man turned to walk away.

"Don't you leave me here! You want to rob from me, you better make damn sure I'm dead, or I'll have your head mounted on my wall by sundown, you crazy punk!"

The young man stopped and laughed shortly under his breath.

"Crazy is so derogatory. Even you rednecks should know that you can't just call the differently abled names. Especially those above you."

The young man exited the shop and flipped the small Open sign on the door to Closed.

"Get back here! Don't you leave me here! I'll have your neck!"

"Don't worry, the ice should melt in a few days if you're lucky. Hope you had lunch before I stuck you there. Adios."

Braintree's bellows continued even after Weatherman shut the door. Walking along with a spring in his step, Anton began snapping his fingers to a tune inside his head.

"85 bottles of beer on the wall, 85 bottles of beer, you take one down, pass it around, you got 84 bottles of beer on the wall…"

Dylan trembled with fear as he watched his babysitter get dragged up the wall. Her attacker, a hideously burnt man with a striped sweater, fedora, and blue overcoat, turned to Dylan. Impossibly standing on the wall upon an X-Ray, he approached the child and brandished his weapon, a fingerless glove with four long, dangerous blades fastened to the fingernails.

"Hey, Dylan. Ever play… Skin the Cat?' He jeered hoarsely, flicking his finger-knives out for emphasis.

Starfire watched the mayhem on screen with equal parts interest and confusion.

"Star, why are you watching New Nightmare?" Cyborg asked, entering the common room and opening the fridge. "Ain't your show on right about now?"

"This seemed to be more interesting. Although, I cannot understand what is happening. There appears to be a man who preys on those who sleep… but how can he stand upon the wall like that?"

"Because he's Freddy Krueger, that's why. You know this is the seventh in the series, don't you?" Cyborg took out the cutlets he had bought for the pool. Hating for them to go to wasted, he decided that they would make a good substitute for supper.

"Oh. There are seven films about this ugly claw-man?" Starfire inquired as Freddy's bloodied victim plummeted onto the ground from the ceiling.

"Nine, if you want to count Freddy vs. Jason and that remake a few years back."

"Who is Jay's son?" she inquired.

"Uhh… you know, that's more of a Raven question, she probably has a better idea than I do."

Starfire frowned and crossed her arms. "I worry for Friends Raven and Beast Boy."

Cyborg took out a few spices and opened up the first tray of cutlets. "Why? You know how much they like to keep to themselves whenever they get personal. They're probably on their way back now."

"I worry less for how_ they_ will solve their problem. I worry for how Friend Robin will react."

"Star, Robin isn't going to lose his cool over one little mistake."

On cue, Robin entered the common room, muttering softly to himself.

"Unbelievable. _Un_-believable."

Cyborg and Starfire exchanged nervous looks before Starfire poked the sleeping bear.

"Robin, are you well?"

"No, I'm not well! Do you know what happened? Weatherman escaped."

Cyborg and Starfire assumed action positions instantly.

"What?"

"How?"

Robin pinched the bridge of his nose. "Apparently, taking away the dial he had implanted in his chest doesn't do anything to his powers. He bored through the bottom of a cop car with his heat."

"Where is he now?" Cyborg asked. "I'd like to meet our friend the thermostat."

"He's missing, Cyborg. After he escaped, he jumped off of the I-74 overpass."

Cyborg blinked. "Oh. So… that means he's probably a smear on the sidewalk by now. I mean, that's a seventy foot drop."

"No, he's still alive, he wouldn't just off himself like that. He warned us that it wasn't over."

"Robin, unless he can flap his arms and fly away, I think he's probably about as healthy as a headless cobra. Not even I could survive a fall like that in one piece."

"Yeah, but he has the ability to create platforms of ice from nothing, he could have just as easily slipped out of view and could be anywhere now. They haven't found a body." Robin looked about the common room and growled.

"Please don't tell me that those two aren't back yet. It's been nearly an hour since they disappeared."

Once again, as if on cue, the elevator light blinked and the doors neatly slid open to reveal Beast Boy and Raven.

"Honey, I'm home!" Beast Boy jested.

Robin marched over to the pair, fuming.

"What did I tell the two of you about disappearing? What would we have done if something came up and we needed your help? And for a whole hour?"

Raven sighed deeply. "Yeah… listen, this whole thing was my fault, Gar- ahem, Beast Boy was just roped into it."

Robin crossed his arms.

"Still, you know how critical team work is for our battle plans. You should have known better than to just disappear. Raven, don't think I don't understand that it's upsetting to lose control of yourself, but if it _does_ happen-" Beast Boy interjected as inoffensively as he could.

"Robin, come on, Rae and I already talked about this. We don't need any more drama."

"Beast Boy, don't interrupt me." Robin snapped. The changeling raised his hands defensively.

"Now listen, I said that you two were free to be together as long as you didn't allow it to interfere with your work. I truly hope that this is just an isolated incident, because if this keeps happening, I may have to do something about it, and I don't _want_ to do that. So please, for God's sake, don't make me have to be the bad guy."

Robin turned away from them and strode towards the center of the room. "But right now, we have other things to worry about. Weatherman has escaped."

"Wait, WHAT?! How? When?" Beast Boy couldn't believe his ears.

Robin filled the duo in on the nature of the situation, underlining the fact that no body was found after his apparent leap to death.

"So now we have a guy who's not only dangerous, but a complete psycho, free to run around the city. Phenomenal." Raven said.

"The first thing we have to do is warn the police that Weatherman is loose somewhere in the city, and then we should split up and comb the streets. Cyborg, I need you to run an analysis on what that device we took from Weatherman does. The rest of you, come with-"

Robin's plan was cut off at the sound of a small electronic tittering noise. The leader sighed and removed a smart phone from his pocket.

"Sorry, this is probably the police telling us that they want us to do exactly what I just told you, hang on a second."

Robin clicked the green 'Answer' button on his phone and placed it against his ear.

"This is Robin."

"Put me on speaker phone."

Robin furrowed his brow. He didn't recognize the voice on the other line.

"Who is this I'm speaking with?"

"We met at the pool today, don't you remember? Put me on speaker phone."

Robin's eyes widened as he realized who was speaking to him.

"You. How did you get this number?"

"Put me on speaker phone and I'll tell you." Weatherman said insistently. Robin did so, and quietly mouthed "It's him." to the other Titans.

"You're on, Scissors."

"Excellent. You really should go on the Internet sometime, Robin. You'd be surprised what your fans know about you. It's pretty creepy that they got your cell, though. Anyway, listen, I just wanted to say that I really had a blast today with you all. Seriously, that's the most fun I've had in years. Talk about a rush. I wanna do it again very soon."

"We're going to meet again very soon. And by the end of our meeting, you'll be in the slammer." Cyborg said.

"Who is that? Is that Cyborg?" Weatherman exclaimed happily. "Cy, nice to know you're back with the Titans. We missed you at the Rapids!"

"Save it, Scissors." Robin said. "What are you calling us for?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just the fact that you kind of stole something that's very important to me."

"If you're talking about that dial, it isn't yours. You stole it from your Uncle."

"Oh, boo hoo. He stole all of my family's money with his stupid research, I think a little poetic justice was overdue. But anyway, just so you know, that dial doesn't produce my powers. It's an inhibitor."

"What are you saying?" Robin demanded.

"I mean, without it, my blood will eventually be nothing but the fluid I use to freeze and burn stuff. In other words, no dial, no live. I want it back."

"If you want your dial back, turn yourself into the police, and we'd be happy to return it to you."

Weatherman sighed on the other line. "Somehow, I knew you'd say that. This would all be so much simpler if you just handed it over. But, fine, since you want to play the hard way, lemme tell you what Daddy bought at the store today."

Robin looked to the other Titans, both out of worry and to make sure they were all paying attention. They were.

"What I've got here is a 9 millimeter Carbine. For those of you who don't speak NRA, it's a gun. And man, does that trigger look pretty. I've been wondering how I should break it in. You think a supermarket would be a good place for target practice? Maybe a hospital would be a better choice…"

The Titans exchanged horrified looks before he continued.

"Now, don't freak out, there is a way to keep my fingers from getting restless. All you have to do is drop off my dial. I want it boxed, unharmed, at the foot of the lighthouse within the hour. If I don't get it, there's going to be some sad, sad news on TV tonight."

Robin shook his head slowly. "You're a monster."

Weatherman laughed uproariously. "No, no. I'm just very persuasive is all. Now do we have a deal?"

***A/N* Weatherman is getting less funny by the minute, isn't he? So, what should the Titans do? Find out in the next Chapter, Cabin Fever. Until next time. *A/N***


	4. Cabin Fever

***A/N* Hello again! Back for more, I see? Excellent, because I really had fun with this chapter. I also took a bit of a break from dark themes and focused more on fluff about halfway through. Don't want this to be a total downer, right? Enjoy? *A/N***

"Thank you for letting us meet with you, Dr. Scissors."

Gustavos Scissors was a man about a head shorter than Cyborg, middle aged with a full head of snow white hair and a small beard of matching color. He wore a crisp white lab coat over a cornflower blue button-up shirt, and had small half-moon spectacles.

"It's exciting to finally meet you and your team in person, Mr. Grayson." Scissors said, shaking Robin's hand. "I greatly appreciate what the five of you have done for our city. Please, have a seat."

The Titans moved to sit down in some of the rolling chairs set up around the large, expensive looking meeting room table.

"I hope that it comes as no surprise to you why we've come to speak to you today." Robin said gravely.

"I'm well aware of Anton's misdeeds." Dr. Scissors said, nodding. "It pains me, not only as a family member, but as a citizen, to hear of his suicide. The poor boy was always-"

"Uh… hate to break it to you, Doc, but Anton isn't exactly dead." Beast Boy replied, awkwardly tapping a finger on the table.

"I beg your pardon, Mr. Logan?" Gustavos said, poorly hiding the disbelieving tone in his voice.

"I'm afraid Beast Boy's right, Dr. Scissors. We received a threatening phone call from your nephew less than fifteen minutes ago. That's what we've come to speak with you about."

"Threatening? What do you mean? Please explain."

"We were suspicious that your nephew had faked his suicide, and our suspicions were unfortunately confirmed when Weatherman called me on my cell phone. We attempted to trace the call, but he was on a payphone. The nature of his call related to this device."

Robin placed the dial on the table.

"You managed to retrieve the LTAS-I?!" Gustavos exclaimed, scooping up his precious device and examining it for damages.

"Would you mind explaining what this device is meant for?" Cyborg inquired. "It might help us take down Anton."

"Of course. You see, the PIAS has been working on a possible method for personalized manual control of temperature."

"Why?" Raven asked.

"It could be a way to allow the citizens to alter the atmosphere around them without being a detriment to others. A farmer could water his crops by simply condensing the air above them into water instead of using precious water that the city needs. A family could warm their home without the need of air conditioning. It's essentially a project that could conserve resources in the future."

Dr. Scissors removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "We've developed an imperfect prototype biochemical for such a project called Liquid Temperature Alteration Serum, or LTAS. It works, but there are two glaring problems. The first is that it's far too potent; lowering the temperature of the air around you almost instantly freezes the moisture, and creates scalding temperatures when the temperature is raised. The second is the most dangerous. You see, a small amount of LTAS injected into the bloodstream is enough to last a lifetime, it converts a miniscule amount of the blood's hemoglobin into LTAS. But the problem is that the formula is changing _too much_ hemoglobin into itself. So much so, that the user will die from septicemia within 24 hours of first contact. That's why we developed this device, the LTAS inhibitor dial. So far, it has kept all people affected by the imperfect biochemical alive."

"So, you're saying that if Anton doesn't get the dial back in 24 hours, he'll die?" Beast Boy asked.

"Maybe less, with the destructive way he's been using his powers."

"No wonder he's willing to take such extreme measures to get it back." Raven said.

Dr. Scissors looked up sharply. "What do you mean?"

"In his phone call, he warned us that if he didn't receive the stolen dial within the hour, he would begin assaulting civilians with a rifle." Robin said.

Dr. Scissors' eyes widened in horror. His mouth briefly opened before it was clapped shut again. He stared vacantly into the distance for a few moments before shaking his head slowly.

"Oh, Anton…"

"We understand that this is upsetting to hear, Dr. Scissors." Robin said quickly.

"No, it's my fault. I should have seen this coming, I should have watched him more carefully."

Starfire, after remaining quiet for so long, spoke up when she saw that the Doctor needed comforting.

"Doctor, it is nightmarish for any guardian to hear that one of their own has done wrong. But this is not your fault. You never encouraged him to do such things."

Scissors grasped his head.

"You don't understand. Anton had always shown signs of being mentally unwell. When he was in secondary school, he took revenge on an ex-girlfriend by burning her eye with a lit marijuana joint. His parents never took good care of him, his father… my brother, Maxwell, disappeared when he was still in diapers, and his mother Alice often forgot to feed him. Her boyfriend, Trent, was no help either. Anton tried to light his house on fire… I should have put him in a halfway house as soon as he was released from prison, but I didn't read the signs. It was my fault he figured out about LTAS, he was kept in _my _custody."

Scissors hid his face from view. Robin placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Doctor, we need your help. We can't risk any innocent lives, so we're going to let Weatherman have the dial. But please, you have to tell us if there's any weakness to the LTAS, anything that will impede its effectiveness or turn it against the user? It could help us bring your nephew to justice and get him the help he needs."

Scissors remained in the same position, and kept silent for a few moments before speaking, his face still turned towards the table.

"Dehydration. If the subject lacks water in their body or is in a highly dry environment, the alteration effects of the chemical are almost completely cancelled out."

The Titans looked at each other, each understanding that the Doctor was in considerable distress and needed to be left to his own devices.

"Thank you for your help, Gustavos. You can count on us. We'll make sure that no harm will come to your nephew or any of the city's citizens. Let's roll, guys."

Robin ushered his teammates out the door. Cyborg gave the Doctor a friendly pat on the back as he left, Beast Boy smiled and left him with a "Don't worry, Dude." Raven said nothing, simply pausing by his side before making her exit. Starfire knelt down to his level and placed her arm around him sympathetically.

"Do not blame yourself, Doctor. You live to make others' lives better. You should not allow the misdeeds of another to define your successes."

And with that, she stood and left. Gustavos Scissors remained seated at that table for another half-hour, before breathing shakily and exiting the meeting room to resume his studies.

The Titans did what Weatherman specified, and left the inhibitor dial at the foot of the lighthouse, tucked neatly into a box Robin surreptitiously attached a micro-camera to. Returning to the tower, Cyborg streamed a live feed of the camera onto the Television, and the five teens agreed to always have somebody monitoring the screen, drawing straws as to the order of camera duty, to be switched every half hour.

Cyborg was given first watch, and it came and went uneventfully. Beast Boy was up next, and he narrowly managed to avoid nodding off from boredom long enough to make it through the half hour, quickly retired to his room to "grab a power nap" after his shift was done.

Starfire's shift was a touch more exciting for the Titans. About ten minutes into it, Starfire gasped and began pointing to the screen.

"Movement!" she yelled repeatedly. The other Titans hurried into the room, including the half asleep Beast Boy, who nearly fell down the stairs in his daze.

The camera was indeed rattling, as someone appeared to be jostling the box. Before Robin could give the order to move out, the camera was obstructed by a white blur.

"What the heck is that thing?" Cyborg inquired.

A seagull peered curiously at the camera. Blinking unintelligently, it pecked the box a few more times before it flew off to look for something else.

"You know, I love animals, but birds are freaking stupid." Beast Boy said, irately turning around and stomping back to his quarters.

Before he could even reach his door, he heard shouting coming from the common room.

"Beast Boy! Get back here!"

Reluctantly prying himself from the door handle, he went back into the common room.

"What did I do?" he grumbled. He immediately shut his mouth when he saw what was happening on screen.

Staring directly at the screen was an uncomfortable close-up of Anton Scissors' face. He had appeared to have picked up the box, and was now examining it.

"It's him!" Starfire exclaimed, pointing at the screen feverishly.

"Titans! Go! On the double!" Robin barked.

The teens scrambled to the lighthouse as quickly as possible, but by the time they reached the spot where they had dropped off the dial, the only thing there to greet them was the empty box, the unused rifle and several boxes of ammo, and a message seared into the concrete.

GOOD MOVE

C U SOON

XOXO

Robin ordered an extensive search of the entire surrounding area within a five mile radius. After six hours of searching, viewing security camera footage, questioning passerby, and checking out a deserted oil rig three miles off of the coast, their efforts came up dry. Weatherman had disappeared.

"Robin, I think it's time to call it a night." Cyborg said after they regrouped for the eleventh time.

"I must agree with Friend Cyborg, Robin. I believe the Weatherman does not intend to reveal himself until a later time." Starfire added.

Robin shook his head. "Unbelievable. We _had _ him!" he yelled. "He slipped through our fingers!"

"He'll show up again." Raven said. "At least we made sure no one else got hurt."

Robin growled softly through closed lips, but he nodded in agreement afterword.

"You're right. But when he does show up again, we need to be the first ones there to greet him. We'll head back to the Tower for now, but the police are on high alert, so we need to be too. Everyone be ready to drop what you're doing and go if this guy's spotted again. And we're getting up at eight tomorrow to search again. Got me?"

Despite a few groans of protest, the others agreed, and the teens made their exit.

Raven sat up in her bed, her back propped up by a few pillows, wearing some plain grey sweatpants and a black shirt made of soft material she didn't care to identify. Reading her novel, she allowed it to work its magic and wear her eyes out like it always did. It was a typical bedtime routine for Raven; shower, make herself some chamomile tea, then read until she felt sleepy enough to turn in for the night.

Strangely, sleep seemed to evade her this evening. She had even tried cutting the light off and closing her eyes, only for them to repeatedly open. She had wondered if she had accidently drunk the wrong kind of tea, caffeine wasn't exactly helpful in speeding up the sleep process. Was she nervous about something? She didn't feel particularly upset about anything. Was it about what happened at the pool earlier today? That had been disconcerting. But looking back, that wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. And besides, she vented all of her stress that afternoon.

She checked her bedside clock. Half past midnight. If she didn't fall asleep soon, she would be a zombie in the morning. She placed her book on her lap and moved to turn the light off. She started when she heard the soft chime from her cell phone that signaled a text message. Picking up her phone, she read the message.

From Beast Boy:

(Hey u up?)

Raven frowned at the poor spelling, but was honestly relieved that somebody else was awake.

(Trying out for a Pulitzer Prize, B?) she sent back.

(So yes. I cant sleep.)

(Join the club.)

She could have sworn she misread the following text the first time through, but indeed, it said what it said.

(Can I come see you?)

(Why?)

(Just to check on you, maybe itll help me sleep)

(If you're worried about this afternoon, you needn't be.)

The reply took some time to reach her, so much so that Raven actually began to feel a twinge of suspense in the air, even then, his reply caught her off guard.

(Could I lie down with u for a little bit?)

(Where did that come from?)

(Please?)

(Will you make it through the night if I refuse?)

There was no reply for a good couple of minutes, so Raven took it upon herself to send another, more comforting message.

(I might consider it if you told me why.)

Raven was surprised to find herself blushing a little while this exchange took place.

(Forget it, night.)

(Wait. Could you tell me why?)

(Its not important)

(Garfield, if I let you come in here for a few minutes, will you please talk with me?)

(For real?)

(Do you need a written invitation? Come.)

The texts stopped after that, because Raven heard rustling from the room down the hall, a door open and shut, and a soft knocking on her own door.

Raven didn't feel the need to tell him to come in, besides, she didn't want to wake the others. Thankfully, he took the hint and opened the door himself.

He took a step back when he saw Raven seated on her bed, her legs beneath her covers and her novel seated on her lap.

He wore slick athletic shorts and a shirt that read "No Meat is So Neat!" and a nervous grin.

"Evening." Raven greeted.

"Hey." came the response.

"Well, you can come in."

Beast Boy took a quick look about himself before he stepped inside Raven's room. It was so much cooler in there than in his room. The sole light in the room was a reading lamp, and it illuminated Raven's face with an almost ghostly cream-colored glow. He took a few steps up to the foot of her bed, eliciting a gentle patting of the bedspread from the seated sorceress, a signal that he was welcome to sit down. He came over, and she quietly shifted over so he could be seated comfortably. Once he did, she knit her fingers together and seated her chin on them.

"So, what's bothering you?" she said plainly.

"Well, I know it's gonna sound kind of dumb… but, what Robin said on the elevator kind of freaked me out."

Raven raised her eyebrow. "You honestly think he'd try breaking us up? He just had his tights in a wad because we left without telling him again."

"Well, it's not just that… he said that us being together is a problem to our teamwork…"

"Like I said, he was just riled up."

Beast Boy looked down at the floor.

"Garfield, let me put this bluntly. If you hadn't been there at the water park today, I think I would've killed a man in cold blood. If that wasn't enough, you saved me from crawling back into my shell afterword. How many guys can make me comfortable enough to cry my eyes out? In public, no less."

Beast Boy's cheeks flushed. "Oh, come on, it wasn't that big of a deal." He murmured timorously.

"No, it really was. You keep me sane, Garfield. Don't ever think that our relationship is harmful." Raven's eyes briefly glowed white. "Or else."

Beast Boy chuckled, but he felt a weight come off of his shoulders.

"I guess you're right. Now for the other hard question…"

Raven leaned forward slightly. "Go on."

"Could I sleep in your bed tonight? With you?"

Damn it, she was blushing again. It really was an unpleasant sensation, and it was essentially a big banner that told the entire room 'Hello World! I'm embarrassed!' But she got over herself quickly and looked her boyfriend straight in the eye with a serious expression.

"Have you showered and brushed your teeth?"

"Uh huh."

"Do you swear to not try anything crass or vulgar?"

"Of course."

"Do you accept that I have the right to kick you in the shin if you snore, sleep talk, or hog the mattress?"

"I don't do any of that."

"And do you promise to keep this as a secret of the highest priority?"

"Yup."

"Make yourself at home." She said finally, pulling the sheets back and giving him license to slip inside. She reached across his chest to turn the lamp off and flicked the switch, bathing the room in darkness. He affectionately put an arm about her slim shoulders, and, since she was already there, she draped her arm across him and nestled her head against his chest. He couldn't help but play with her hair for a few moments before he rested his palm on her shoulder.

"Can I say something?"

"Make it quick."

"You smell nice."

"Thanks, weirdo. Now shut up and get to bed."

***A/N* Rock-a-bye Beast Boy, on the tree top... Wait, what? Anyway, hope that made you feel a little mushy after the last chapter, I'll be back with more soon enough. Away! *A/N* **


	5. Thunder

***A/N* Hello again. Sorry for the delay, but real life has it's own plans for me. But we're back, with a more action oriented chapter this time around. Enjoy! *A/N***

It had gone remarkably well. The two of them slept soundly together, the only discomfort being the occasional, unavoidable shifting into a more comfortable position, and the two of them would be momentarily shaken from slumber to accommodate for the movement. But aside from these mandatory disturbances, Beast Boy and Raven remained in each other's arms through the entire night.

The solace was penetrated by the shrill, grating beeping of Raven's bedside alarm clock at 7:00. Beast Boy was within reaching distance of the clock, and flung an arm groggily onto the Snooze button. Raven reluctantly separated herself from him and rolled over, brushing the hair from her eyes. She was promptly grabbed around the torso by her bedmate and tugged back into his arms.

"Mmm…And where do you think _you're _going?" His voice was sleepy, but still maintained a heavy amount of mischief.

"Garfield, as much as I'd like to keep indulging you, you have to get out of here." Raven said sarcastically.

"Oh, come on… just a little longer?"

"No. Out."

Beast Boy curled up into a ball beneath her comforter. "But it's _cold _out there!" He whined drowsily.

"Garfield, quit it. Robin's coming by soon, and you'd better make damn sure he doesn't see you in here."

Beast Boy clambered out from underneath the covers and flopped down on the floor belly-first. Standing up, he crossed his arms.

"Alright, fine. But we're doing this again." He said, pointing at Raven.

"The longer you stay in here, the lower your chances get." Raven warned.

"Hey, that wasn't a request." Beast Boy replied.

"OUT."

Beast Boy shot her a wink before grinning broadly and slipping out of the door.

Raven shook her head in exasperation and tossed her covers aside. Standing up and stretching, she stepped into the bathroom, flicking the light on and squinting as her eyes adjusted.

After a quick hot shower to wake her up and wash away her bed-head, she dried herself off and slipped on a dull grey bathrobe. As she began to brush her teeth, a single, jarring thought pierced her clouded mind.

(That _has _to happen again.)

Actually pausing for a moment to let that phrase sink in, she resumed brushing.

(Why should it happen again? I'll tell you why, because it was amazing. It was harmless and relaxing, it's a good way to spend time with him without having to say much of anything, it was warm… Yeah, that's a good way to describe it. Warm. He was warm to the touch, it made her feel warm all over just thinking about it...)

"Everyone up! Everyone out of bed, NOW!"

Raven spat the foam into the sink and hurried to open her door. Robin, fully dressed and oozing urgency, stood in the middle of the hallway.

"What's going on?" Raven called out. Robin didn't turn to face her, instead pounding on Starfire's door impatiently.

"He's been spotted at the Park! I want everyone in the garage ready to go in two minutes!" he barked, less to Raven and more for everyone else to hear.

Raven hastily closed her door and dropped her bathrobe on the spot. Gliding over to her wardrobe, she got herself dressed as quickly as she could, not even bothering to tie her cloak, simply grabbing it and hurrying out the door. On her way out, she nearly ran straight into Cyborg.

"Sorry, Rae." He apologized quickly, as he jogged past her. "Robin, I'm warming her up!" he called over his shoulder. Starfire appeared at Raven's side.

"I trust you are well this morning?" she said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"What? I-oh… right. Yeah, I'm fine." Raven took a moment to recognize her concern; she was still worried about Raven's outburst yesterday.

Robin snapped his fingers briskly. "Girls, no dawdling. Let's go!"

Starfire complied and soared out of sight, Raven pulling on her cloak and began to tie it. Robin moved to follow the Tamaranian, but suddenly stopped and turned to Raven.

"Raven…"

"I know. You don't have to worry about me."

Robin stared at her gravely. "I really hope you're right, Raven. Like I said, I don't want to have to be the bad guy."

He turned and dashed down the hall. Raven finished tying her cloak and pulled her hood up.

"Let's go, Rae!"

Beast Boy hurried past the sorceress. Raven took one more moment to allow herself a deep, refreshing breath.

"You can do this."

"Please, don't! I have a wife!"

A jogger had been shoved onto the ground by a masked assailant. Backpedaling away from his aggressor, his attempt to stand up was thwarted by a single kick to the ribs. Yelping in pain, he hit the ground again, and he was yanked up by the collar.

Weatherman, while hiding from the Titans the previous day, had managed to scrape together a makeshift costume for himself. He wore a blank, plain mask over his face. Originally white, he had carefully painted the left side a royal blue, and the right a scarlet red, separated by a longitudinal black line down the middle. He wore a long, dark gray rain slicker with the hood pulled up, khaki work pants, and heavy footed brown boots. He left his hands uncovered, of course.

"Is that right? Any kids?" he inquired, tilting his head to one side.

"Yes! Two!" The jogger spat out frantically.

"Hope you told them all you loved them this morning." Weatherman said, with a twinge of mock sadness in his voice. He seized the jogger's head and gave a groan of pleasure as he froze him solid, his scream silenced abruptly. Stepping back a pace, he admired his latest creation.

"Unique position." He remarked.

"Alright, you sick bastard! Get on the ground and spread your legs!" Weatherman turned leisurely to find a police officer aiming his gun straight at him.

"Dinner and a movie first, chump." He replied, placing a hand on his hip.

"You've got till three, or I'll shoot! Now get on the ground!"

"This is it."

"One!"

"Is he gonna do it, folks?"

"Two!"

"Can he stop this madman?!" Weatherman exclaimed melodramatically, clutching his heart.

"THREE!" The officer squeezed the trigger, and was flung to the ground as the gun's chamber exploded.

"Cheap junk, ain't it? All it takes is a little heat, and POW!" Weatherman said disdainfully, before crystallizing the downed officer.

Looking about himself, he realized that all the civilians around him had either fled, or had been turned into ice. Weatherman puffed out his chest proudly and nodded.

"Now _that's _quality craftsmanship!" He then swung around and began sauntering rhythmically towards the nearby lake.

"I got my mind made up, and I can't let go! I'm killing every second 'till it saves my soul!"

He stopped his singing as the shriek of braking tires filled the air. Turning to the sound as though it were music to his ears, he practically cheered with glee at the sight of the T-Car, which had screeched to a halt in the street.

"Is that him?" Cyborg demanded, pointing to the grey hooded figure waving jovially at them.

"Well, he's the only non-popsicle around." Beast Boy replied. "And he's waving at us."

"What is the plan of action?"

"Starfire, we need you to work on thawing out his victims before it's too late. The rest of you, we're taking down Scissors once and for all. Formation Lambda. Titans! GO!"

The five teens exploded from the vehicle, Robin exiting through the top with Starfire, kicking off of the car and landing on Beast Boy's back, now a green stallion, Cyborg following and Raven bringing up the rear. Starfire landed next to the nearest frozen person and began to defrost her.

Weatherman took a moment to study the formation, then took off towards the lake. Reaching the shore in a matter of seconds, he leapt onto the surface, which froze solid for him.

"Looks like he's not going to fight us directly. We're already at a disadvantage. We have to chase him off of the water."

Cyborg aimed his arm-cannon at Weatherman, now skating towards the center of the lake. Biting his lip and closing his eye to gain perfect accuracy, he let a shot fly, the blue energy whistling through the air. A column of ice erupted from beneath the water in front of Weatherman and blocked the shot.

"Now that's unfair." Cyborg murmured to himself.

Robin front flipped off of Beast Boy's back, drew his staff, and turned to Raven.

"Raven, think you can bring him over here?"

Raven's eyes began to glow white as she held out her hands.

"Azarath, Metrion, ZINTHOS!"

Weatherman gave a confused grunt as he was hoisted backwards by Raven's magic, but soon realized what was going on and reacted quickly. Aiming a hand upward, four ice crystals, long and sharp like daggers, materialized. Managing to grab them, he twisted himself around in midair so he was facing Raven head on. She released her grip as he plummeted towards them, arms outstretched.

"Watch it, he's armed!" Robin yelled, catching a glimpse of the crystal daggers glinting in the sun. Raven ducked out of the way just in time as Weatherman careened past her, one of his daggers grazing her cheek.

Before he had the chance to right himself, Weatherman was spun about in place by Cyborg.

"Good to meet ya." He said, before punching Weatherman square in the face. The arsonist fell to the ground from the force of the blow, tiny white lights dancing in his field of vision and dropping his daggers, which melted instantly.

"Name's Cyborg. I'll be your butt-kicker for this morning." He grabbed Weatherman by the scruff of his collar and hurled him one-handed into a tree. He slammed into the tree horizontally, bouncing off of the trunk and landing in the dirt below face-first.

"Nice outfit, by the way. Very avant-garde." Cyborg readied his cannon, but never had the chance to fire it, because his cybernetic eye became overloaded with static. Weatherman had his right hand held out in front of him, even as he lay on the dirt.

"You talk big, don't you?" he chuckled darkly. "You machines are all the same, you work fine until you overheat."

Clapping a hand over his eye, Cyborg groaned and stumbled backwards. Weatherman stood himself up and cracked his back, Robin aiming a swipe at him with his staff, which he ducked. Robin threw another, which he dodged by simply taking a step backward. Robin made a downward thrust with his weapon, and found his weapon stomped upon and held in place. Weatherman grabbed the hero's shoulders and slammed his skull into his, knocking him backwards, and ended the combo with a back-fist slug to Robin's left temple.

Weatherman's next adversary pounced on him, quite literally. Beast Boy morphed into a green lion and lunged toward his prey, jaw wide open. Weatherman, reacting unusually quickly, created a mitt of solid ice around his left arm, and Beast Boy's jaw sank into this frigid armor. Pressing his right foot against the tree behind him, Weatherman pushed against the weight of the feline with all his strength. When he saw his chance, he seized Beast Boy's mane with his right hand.

"Bad kitty."

The dry fur burst into flames in a matter of seconds. Beast Boy switched back into his human form, alight with fire, and frantically flung himself onto the ground, attempting to snuff it out. Raven instantly pulled an orb of water out of the lake and tossed it towards the burning Beast Boy. Dousing him, the fire died instantly.

All of this tree-side mayhem occurred in just a few seconds, so Cyborg was still struggling with his overheated circuitry and Robin's vision was still clouded after his skull was nearly split open. Robin swung his staff blindly in Weatherman's direction, who somersaulted out of the way, going forward and ending up at Raven's feet. Tackling the sorceress, she ended up pinned to the ground on her back, Weatherman kneeling on her legs and pressing down on her arms, their faces inches apart.

"You really are beautiful…" he murmured, his two-colored mask unable to hide the hunger in his voice and putting an invasive hand on her cheek.

"Sorry. You're not my type." Raven replied, her eyes glowing and surrounding her captor's head in black energy. Back flipping him over her head, he landed with a heavy thud behind her.

Before she could stand up again, Weatherman, with alarming speed, righted himself first and seized her wrists, pulling her up and spinning her about so she was facing away from him. Tightly coiling his left arm around her abdomen and clapping his right over her mouth, he had effectively trapped her in place.

"LET HER GO!" Beast Boy, smoke rising from his body and some of the material of his suit burned away, rose furiously and began advancing towards him.

"Ah ah ah…" Weatherman formed a long, thin, dangerously sharp icicle with his left hand, and aimed the point directly at Raven's neck. "You have to learn to share your toys."

Beast Boy stopped moving, but clenched his fists together and grinded his teeth.

"Let…her…GO!" he practically screamed.

Raven could see what was happening. His pupils were dilating, the hair on his body was bristling, his teeth grew more pointed.

"Garfield, NO!" she attempted to yell, but since her mouth was covered, it came out as "Gmmmph, MMM!"

Weatherman ignored both of these cries. He took the icicle from Raven's neck and began to gently run it down her abdomen, starting at her bosom and traveling down towards her navel, the point stroking the tight black material beneath her cloak.

"You're so soft. You're like my own little doll…"

Beast Boy let out an audible snarl. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" he roared.

A sudden burst of bright green light sent Weatherman onto the ground. Starfire, now finished saving the frozen civilians, reappeared several feet in the air, eyes aglow and starbolts in hand, pegged Weatherman with one of her projectiles.

"Take your filthy hands off of my friend!" she exclaimed.

Weatherman, outnumbered, scrambled to his feet and dashed towards the lake, Starfire giving chase, along with the now operational Cyborg and Robin.

Beast Boy, quaking with fury, moved to follow, but was stopped by a black force.

Raven had trapped him in place. "Garfield, stop."

"Lemme go, Raven!" he protested.

"No."

"Raven, he tried-!"

"I _know_! But at this rate, you'll tear anyone to pieces to get at him! Don't you remember what you told me yesterday? You can fight against the anger inside of you, Garfield. We can't let our instincts control us!"

"GUYS! A little help over here, please?!" Cyborg bellowed.

Beast Boy locked eyes with Raven.

"Let's go."

The two hastily joined their teammates. Weatherman had perched himself on a high column of ice he created, Starfire tossing as many starbolts as she could at him, only to have them all blocked by a few quickly made ice walls.

"We have to blow it." Robin said. "Only Starfire can reach him where he is now."

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Cyborg said with a grin.

"Let's do it." Robin replied. He lobbed one of his bombs into the air, and Cyborg shot it mid-fall with his blaster. The ensuing explosion shattered the entire lower portion of the column, sending Weatherman tumbling off of his perch as the column fell.

"Sonic boom, baby!" Cyborg cheered, high fiving Robin.

Weatherman attempted to create another platform, but tried too late and smacked the frozen surface of the lake. Sliding forward a small distance, the Titans surrounded him.

"We can go about this two ways, Anton. Either you come quietly, or we _make_ you come quietly." Robin warned.

"So please, do us a favor and pick Option 2." Beast Boy added.

Weatherman coughed raggedly, and pushed himself up.

"Son of a… you broke my rib." He sat on his knees and clutched at his chest, doubling over when the adrenaline wore off and the pain came full blast.

"We'll do worse if you don't come quietly." Robin replied.

Still doubled over, Weatherman began laughing weakly.

"Wait… you guys actually think that you _win_?"

His laugh became stronger as he looked up and around at the Titans.

"So you want to take this to the next level, then. Fine by me."

A low rumbling filled the air. The ice around the Titans began to crack and splinter. Shards began flying through the air, zooming past the Titans and forming a small cloud around Weatherman. The shards grew larger by the moment, and soon formed a cloud so thick that the arsonist couldn't be seen anymore.

"Cyborg, shoot him." Robin ordered. Cyborg aimed his blaster towards the center of the cloud and fired a single shot, the projectile seemingly being ripped to pieces by the small storm around Weatherman.

"That's not good." Raven said.

The whirling cloud began to shape itself into what looked like a crude humanoid shape, and all at once, the movement stopped and the ice became solid. What used to be Anton Scissors was now an eight-foot tall, faceless automaton sculpted entirely from ice, with oversized fists and a smooth, featureless surface. Looming dangerously over the five teens, the golem knocked them all flying with a single swing of its fist.

Robin stood up quickly. "Remember what Dr. Scissors said. We have to get him away from the water."

The golem ponderously began advancing towards the teens, the rest of them now scrambling to their feet.

"Unless anyone knows where a nearby desert is, I think we're in trouble." Beast Boy snapped.

"So what should we do?" Starfire asked.

The golem, now off of the water and standing several feet away from the Titans, slammed it's fists together menacingly and let out an unearthly growl.

"Run."

***A/N* SCISSORS SMASH! And now, Weatherman has turned himself into a monstrosity to fight the Titans. And Beast Boy is falling prey to the very thing he tried to protect Raven from. Can he defeat both his foe and himself? *A/N***


	6. Striking Twice

***A/N* Whew! This one was a doozy. It's probably the most grandiose thing I've ever written. It was difficult to perfect, but here it is. Enjoy! *A/N***

"Doctor…"

"Is it ready?"

"Yes, but-"

"Bring it here."

Dr. Milos Fojtik couldn't help but hesitate. He had been skeptical of this project from the word 'Go,' and became increasingly nervous as it neared completion.

Fojtik had met Dr. Scissors when the latter was traveling abroad. Stopping briefly for a conference in Prague, Milos had approached him and showed him his work on his new project called Instant Hydration. Impressed, Scissors invited him to continue his project back in the U.S. Since then, Fojtik had become his apprentice and close friend, looking up to him and seldom arguing with him outside the occasional friendly debate.

Today was different. Scissors had been reclusive ever since his nephew began his spree of violence, and he had roped Fojtik into constructing a new kind of device from his previous prototypes. Although he created what Gustavos asked for, he could not calm his conscience, and had approached his superior to question his plans.

"Dr. Scissors, sir. I do not wish to be an obstruction…" Dr. Fojtik began, speaking with his heavy Czech accent. "But don't you think we should run a few tests before we attempt anything offensive?"

Gustavos Scissors didn't turn to look at his apprentice, choosing to keep his eyes on the statistics flitting upwards on the computer screen.

"There's no time. Judging from these readings, everything will go smoothly."

Dr. Fojtik hurried to his superior's side. "We aren't just talking about a technical fluke here, this is a human being's life! Your nephew, no less!" he demanded.

"Milos, I understand the risk entirely. But we have to think about what will happen if we _don't _intervene! Did you see what he did to dozens of innocent people today? This has to stop now!"

"But, I implore you, Doctor, we should at least make sure there is no chance of a fatality! Surely, as a fellow man of science, you can-"

"DAMN IT, MILOS!" Scissors bellowed, banging on his desk, causing Fojtik to jump back.

"Don't you understand?! Anton was _my_ responsibility! I didn't keep a close enough eye on him! I spent my time here at this lab instead of seeking the help he needed! We wouldn't have had to build this godforsaken weapon if I had just paid attention! _I_ created Weatherman, and now _I _have to stop him! If we have to sacrifice one life to save hundreds more, so be it!"

Dr. Fojtik didn't respond after this. Dr. Scissors came down from his heated rage, and exhaled heavily.

"Get the gun. I'll fire up the jeep." He said emptily, grabbing his keys from the dish and exiting the lab.

"Bůh nám pomáhej." Dr. Fojtik uttered under his breath, hurrying to the other room. Grabbing the silver, cylindrical apparatus seated atop the display stand. Checking for any imperfections, he took a deep breath and crossed himself.

"Dej mi sílu." He prayed, before slinging the heavy firearm over his shoulder and following his superior out the door.

A bulldog sped down the sidewalk of Main Street, dragging his retractable leash behind him, which clattered noisily. Gasping and snorting, he slipped between a woman's legs and hurried inside the restaurant she was exiting. Finding a seat in the middle of the room, he began barking frantically. The employee behind the counter couldn't believe his eyes.

"What are doin' in here?! Git!" he barked, gesturing to the door with his toothpick in hand. His order was ignored as the dumpy hound replaced his barks with howls.

Stepping out from behind the counter, the employee moved to grab the dog, but froze when he saw what was outside the window.

A humanoid creature, standing at nine or ten feet tall, lumbered through the street. Shiny, translucent, and featureless, the creature had foot-wide fists, and appeared to pay no mind to the cars blaring their horns and swerving to avoid it. The sun glinted off of its surface in tiny, blinding pinpoints.

A heavy-mounted pickup truck stopped in the middle of the street, its owner leaning his head out of the window and shouting obscenities at the monstrosity, and the Golem replied with a single swing of its fist. The pickup's entire front side was crushed, the driver's head ramming into the side of the window and knocking him unconscious. With that distraction out of the way, it continued on its way, stepping over the wreckage leisurely as the car alarm whistled.

As it stomped through the busy road, it paused briefly and glanced about itself. It was searching for something. How it could see with no eyes was anybody's guess.

A police car, lights flashing and siren wailing, swerved to a stop, blocking off incoming traffic. Another soon followed, and another, and another. Eight officers leapt from the vehicles, armed with shotguns and riot shields.

As they aimed at the Golem, it tilted its head back slightly and made a few short, rasping noises. A crude imitation of laughter. The officers opened fire, muzzle flashes blinking like camera bulbs and spent shells raining on the pavement. All this barrage of bullets managed to do was leave a few scratches on the glossy surface of the Golem. A crack began forming across the creature's head, not from the bullets, but of its own accord. The lower half distended grotesquely like a human jaw, revealing serrated icicle teeth; the faceless statue had opened its mouth.

All at once, a torrent of fire launched itself from the newly formed mouth, enveloping the officers in blazing heat.

"A fire-breathing ice monster. Give him points for originality."

The creature's jaw snapped shut, leaving the officers singed, but relatively unharmed thanks to their shields. Turning to look behind it, the golem growled with pleasure at the sight of five teens standing in the now deserted road.

"Look who's all grown up." Beast Boy said.

"Today's Forecast: Hail." Cyborg declared.

"So, what _was _your plan anyway, Anton? Turn yourself into a brainless monster just so you could cause property damage? The old Hulk approach." Robin jeered.

"And here I thought he was smart." Raven added.

"He is an arsonist at heart, and little else." Starfire finished.

The monster that was once Anton Scissors snorted, unimpressed. Raising its fists into the air, it smashed the pavement in front of it into gravel, before roaring like an enraged bull and charging.

The Titans scattered, except for Cyborg, who remained steadfast, firing his cannon and hitting Scissors in the chest. Stumbling backwards, the creature snapped its 'mouth' open and let loose a blast of fire, which Cyborg narrowly avoided. The creature took a swing at the Titan, missing him thanks to a well-timed duck.

Starfire shot into the air, speeding in front of the Golem. With pinpoint precision, she threw a starbolt, which collided with the side of its head. Not even making it flinch, the creature responded by lunging towards her and attempting to bite her. Catching her foot, it tore her boot off and left a nasty laceration across her ankle.

With Starfire distracted by her wound, the creature turned back to Cyborg, and snarled when he saw no one there. Whirling back around, a green triceratops was there to greet it, attempting to head butt the icy juggernaut. The creature countered with a downward swing, slamming its fist into the dinosaur's head with massive force. Beast Boy fell to his stomach mid-charge, rolling forwards and ending at the Golem's feet.

The Golem raised one of these feet and attempted to stomp on the reptile's head to finish the job, but was blinded by a burst of light from one of Robin's flash flares, its foot veering to one side and breaking more asphalt.

Raven levitated one of the largest pieces of the broken street into the air, and launched the truck-sized chunk of rock at the Golem. Nailing it in the shoulder, the creature was finally knocked onto the ground, flattening a police car in the process, the asphalt landing several feet away.

Robin hurried over to the downed behemoth and lobbed two of his bombs into the air.

"Cyborg!"

"Got it!" Cyborg let another projectile fly and hit the bombs mid-air. The Golem managed to cover its face with one of its fists before the explosion came, and the appendage was blown to pieces.

Before Robin could celebrate, the creature flung its destroyed fist downward in his direction, the explosion inadvertently leaving behind a chunk of ice that was sharp and pointed like a dagger. Moving too late, the knife-like stub snagged his cape and rammed it into the ground, trapping him in place. Seeing its chance, the Golem belched another round of fire, swallowing Robin entirely in an inferno.

"ROBIN!" Starfire shrieked. The golem leapt to its feet and swung its unbroken fist at Starfire, catching her off guard and hitting her in the side. She whirled away, out of control, before her head met a street lamp loudly and painfully, and she fluttered back down to the ground, unconscious.

"Okay, you walking Freezer Pop, you want to play rough?!" Cyborg bellowed.

Kicking off of a nearby curb, Cyborg activated the jets in his boots and rocketed through the air towards the Golem. Unfortunately, the Scissors-monster had seen him do this, and was more than ready for his attack. As Cyborg prepared to punch, the Golem used his new knife-hand to swipe upward at Cyborg, cleaving his left forearm entirely free from his body. Using the ensuing shock to his advantage, the Golem struck the teen out of the air with his undamaged fist, bashing him into the street below.

Huffing with satisfaction, the Golem turned to look for the other two. It had saved the best for last. The green one was remarkably fun to play with, he was so immature. It almost made it feel sorry for him, it felt like an adult stealing candy from a baby.

Then there was Raven. She truly was a work of art. It purred with apprehension at the idea of keeping her for itself. Maybe after this was over, it could turn back into Anton Scissors and freeze her solid, preserving her beauty forever. No, that would be sacrilege. A specimen that flawless had to be kept warm. A little training, and she would do whatever he asked.

The Golem's jaw snapped open once again after this period of silence lasted for too long. Mustering up the energy, it spoke.

"_Come out…come out… wherever you are…_" it croaked.

The silence that followed only served to exacerbate the thirst for more destruction. The Golem bared its icicle teeth and scrounged the surrounding area for any sign of the remaining Titans. The other Titans lay exactly where The Golem left them, blacked out and wounded.

"What's the worst that could happen?"

"You end up in a coma, I end up catatonic."

"Besides that."

"Garfield, no offense, but I don't trust you with that kind of power."

"Do we have another choice? We're pretty much out of other options, here."

"I can think of plenty."

"If it works, we win. Hands down. No contest."

"And if it doesn't, we lose the battle, and I lose my boyfriend. No. Way."

Beast Boy grabbed Raven's shoulders. The two had silently ducked into an alley after Cyborg had been taken out.

"Rae, listen to me. I know I screwed up earlier, but you have to trust me on this. Robin said himself that he thinks our relationship is bad for this team. It's time to prove him wrong. This can only work with someone who you have a deep attachment to, right?"

"Even if it did work, I don't know if I could handle it, and I know for certain that you couldn't."

"Raven… you remember how nervous you were when you asked me out, don't you?"

"Now's not the time, Garfield."

"That was a _huge_ risk, wasn't it? What if I said no? What if we could never look each other in the face again? It could have destroyed our friendship, couldn't it? But you trusted me enough to try it anyway. And look at us, we're really going somewhere!"

Beast Boy cupped Raven's face in his hands and gave her a look of utter determination.

"It's time to trust me again, Raven. I can do this. You can do this. _We _can do this. We can work as a couple, and we can work as a team. Let's show 'em all."

The Golem roared in frustration, unable to locate his prey, and swiped at a telephone pole, felling it like a tree.

"It's now or never, Raven. Do it."

Raven gulped, took a deep breath, and looked the changeling directly in the eye.

"Praesta mea in eum. Ut qui a nobis." She began, taking Beast Boy's hands from her face and clenching them tightly.

Her eyes slowly rolled over black.

"Don't break eye contact with me." She warned. Beast Boy complied, staring into the gaping tunnels that had replaced her violet eyes.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…"

Raven chanted her mantra, beginning as a whisper and steadily rising into a murmur.

Beast Boy felt something shift inside of him. His mouth fluttered open, and he began silently mirroring Raven's chanting. His eyes glazed over, although they didn't budge from their spot. His pupils soon grew to an unnatural size, swallowing up his irises and eventually both of his sclera, leaving two glossy pits as dark and refracting as Raven's.

Raven allowed her conscience to slide through the invisible hole she had formed in the wall of her mind, her body stopping its chanting and becoming still as a statue. Beast Boy's head twitched once or twice from the unpleasant sensation of an invisible being worming its way into his mind.

"…thos. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." Beast Boy had replaced Raven in the position of chanting, and began quietly uttering her mantra with the same stoicism and conviction.

Within the confines of his now dually occupied mind, Beast Boy's conscience was pleased to feel the cool, reserved change Raven's brought into his usually overactive thoughts. Politely shifting to the side, it allowed Raven's conscience to take the helm.

All at once, Beast Boy ceased chanting, let go of Raven's hands, and turned to march out into the street. Eyes still ink-black, he stared up at the Golem, who ceased trying to destroy a post office and turned to look at the changeling. Letting out a snort of impatience, it stomped into the center of the road and glared eyeless-ly down at Beast Boy, dwarfed in comparison.

Somewhat impressed that the green teen hadn't bothered transforming yet, The Golem raised it's unbroken fist into the air threateningly.

All at once, Beast Boy raised his arms out to his sides.

"Aspice, CORVUS!" he bellowed, Raven's voice echoing alongside his own.

The changeling became lost in a swirling void of black and green, which rose into a fire-whirl of dark colors, easily twice the size of the Golem. Finally taking its shape, a colossal, roc-sized, green-black raven loomed overhead, eyes glowing white with wings spread.

For the first time in his entire life, Anton Scissors felt fear. Real, genuine, petrifying fear. Even in his icy suit of armor, the magnificent being towering above him could rip him to shreds with a flick of its glowing talons. As the golem backed away slowly, the raven tilted its head to look down at the trembling ice monster. Instantly, murderous rage flared up inside of the bird, as it saw what it had done to the other Titans, and recalled how it had abused both youths that created it. Opening its beak and letting out a screech, it readied itself to crush the puny arsonist in its talons, the anticipation of the crunch of ice and broken bones almost too much for it to handle.

But before it could exact vengeance, something slowed it to a stop. A scent. The faint, unmistakable scent of lavender. Another sensation followed; the raw pain of crying filled the throat of the avian deity. Through its body, a warmth permeated its feathers, the same warmth one receives from curling up with a loved one, both internal and external.

The raven felt its rage vanish, yet refused to release its prisoner from its talons. The world would gain nothing through the murder of this pathetic young man. Wrath begets wrath. This criminal belongs in a place where he can allow his sick fantasies to torture him, maybe one day, he could repent for all his wrongdoing.

The raven, clarity rushing through it, concluded what had to be done. Letting out a seismic burst of energy, the Golem shattered into tiny flakes of snow, revealing the terrified young man within. Dropping him onto the pavement, the raven was satisfied, and vanished.

It was a while before Raven regained her conscience. She found herself standing alone in the alleyway where she had originally left her body. She heard the chatter of people coming from the street, and went outside to examine what had happened. She flinched when a speck of cold prodded her nose. Glancing about, she saw hundreds of flakes dancing in the air, landing on the hot pavement and melting in the summer sun. It was snowing in the middle of July.

"RAVEN!"

The sorceress turned to find herself tackled in a back-breaking hug.

"Hello, Starfire."

The princess was beaming, despite the fact that she held an ice pack against her head.

"You and Friend Beast Boy have done it! The living statue is no more!" she exclaimed.

"Is everyone alright?" Raven queried.

"Friends Cyborg and Robin are quite injured, but are receiving treatment at the health vehicle as we speak. As for friend Beast Boy, he is resting upon a movable cot."

"What about Scissors?"

Starfire pointed. A gaggle of policemen had surrounded the spot where Anton had fell.

"He has not budged an inch! Please, Raven, you _must _tell me how the two of you defeated him. I awoke, and he was no more."

Raven gave Starfire a legitimate smile. "Let's just say we used our heads."

Starfire's inevitable confusion brought a short laugh out of Raven, but it vanished immediately when the policemen began shouting and reaching for their weapons. They were flung backwards by a burst of heat, and Anton Scissors rose, now without his mask.

"RAVEN!" he snarled, creating an icicle-dagger and raising it manically above his head.

"Time to split you open, bitch!" he spat, and sprinted towards the two shocked Titans.

Raven, exhausted and reacting too late, simply braced herself for the impact. She was shocked to feel it never arriving.

Opening her eyes, she saw Scissors, still in his offensive stance, locked into place. His eyes were wide open, and his mouth trembled. Keeling over, he fell flat on his face onto the broken pavement. A large dart protruded from the back of his neck, seemingly having been fired into it.

Raven looked around and saw a man with a snow white beard in a lab coat, standing a few yards away from his target with a weapon over his shoulder. A younger man next to him wore a lab coat of similar make and a flabbergasted expression.

"I apologize for my late arrival… Milos and I just finished it this morning."

Gustavos Scissors handed the weapon to his apprentice and walked over to the Titans.

"Dr. Scissors?" Raven asked.

"Doctor, what is this? How did you find us?" Starfire added.

"I thought about what you said to me in the lab for a long time yesterday, Ms. Starfire. I concluded that in order to reclaim my honor, I had to reap what I had sewn. I refuse to let the misdeeds of another define my success, especially when this other is one of my own mistakes."

Dr. Scissors leaned down to his unconscious nephew's side and checked his pulse.

"He's alive. The Instant Dehydration Dart didn't kill him, Dr. Fojtik."

The Czech man sighed with relieve. "Díky Bohu!" He exclaimed.

At his side, the good Doctor ran his fingers through his nephew's hair.

"I'm sorry for never being there, Anton. I promise I'll give you all the attention you'd ever need from now on."

***A/N* Dr. Scissors has repented, Anton has been defeated, and Raven and Garfield have proven that they won't allow their hateful sides to blur the line between right and wrong. The good guys win. Who wants French Toast? *A/N***


	7. Dew

***A/N* It took some time to discover what I really wanted to do with this Chapter, but I'm satisfied with what I got. Sure, it's a bit on the short side, but I figured y'all needed a break after the last Chapter. Plus, if you order now, you get some steam with your fluff, absolutely free! Enjoy! *A/N***

"This is Channel 45 News with Ruby o'Michaels."

A well dressed, prim newscaster sat behind her usual podium, papers in hand. The frame behind her read 'Clash of The Titans' in large green letters.

"Early this morning, Anton T. Scissors, better known as the supervillain Weatherman, was accosted by the Teen Titans with the help of noted physicists Dr. Gustavos Scissors and Dr. Milos Fojtik. The younger Scissors was terrorizing passerby in Central Park when he was confronted by the Titans, leading to Scissors transforming himself into a monster, only to be defeated by an enormous raven-shaped being, which was apparently under the Titans' control. Residents describe what they saw."

The screen cut to an elderly woman in a sun visor speaking into the microphone.

"I was out for my morning walk when I heard a huge crash and police sirens, and by the time I got over here to see what was going on, the sun was completely covered. I thought 'there's no clouds, is this an eclipse?' And then I saw this huge shadow shaped like a bird…"

Another cut showed a businessman with a Bluetooth in his ear, his eyes covered by sunglasses.

"I couldn't believe it. This giant… I don't know how else to describe it, ice sculpture was walking down Main Street…"

Another cut to an old, wheezy-voiced man in a baseball cap.

"This…glass creature was walkin' back an' forth, stompin' on cars, spittin' fire, an' it's the honest to goodness truth that a big ol' shadowy crow or eagle showed up an' started squishin' it."

"Were you afraid?" the reporter asked.

"Oh, I was sayin' my prayers. I thought I was gonna be breakfast!" the old man said, with a raspy chortle. The camera went back to the newscaster.

"The Teen Titans suffered some injuries, two of them, Robin and Cyborg, are currently receiving treatment for 2nd degree burns, contusions, and exhaustion, but a full recovery is expected. We spoke to team member Starfire about the nature of this giant avian spectacle.

The camera cut to Starfire, holding an ice pack to her head and sitting on a park bench.

"Could you describe this creature that put a stop to Anton Scissors?"

"I am afraid I cannot, I was without consciousness during the appearance."

"Do you know where it came from? Popular opinion suggests that your friend Raven had something to do with it."

"She has told me that she was involved, along with Friend Beast Boy, but I cannot define what the two of them did."

"The teammates spoken of, Raven of Azarath and Garfield Logan, better known as Beast Boy, are rumored to be in a relationship together, but neither of them have been available for questioning on this matter or on this being they were involved in creating. Thankfully, after the smoke cleared, the total fatality count for this extravaganza is zero. Anton Scissors is now receiving treatment at the Cedar Grove Sanitarium, and the Titans say that they will help repair Main Street as soon as the five of them are back on their feet. In other News, members of Congress continue to debate the bill for…"

The News continued being played on the common room television, despite the fact that no one was watching. In fact, no one in the Tower was even present in the common room, and less than half of the Titans were even conscious.

Robin and Cyborg lay in the medical bay, Cyborg was plugged into one of his machines to repair his many overheated circuits, and his recently severed forearm was reattached and being rewired. Robin was allowing the burns he received to heal, covered in disinfectant and aloe, and was battling a mild concussion from Weatherman's many attacks on his cranium.

Starfire had thankfully only received a bruise on the side of her temple, her bite-wound clean and bandaged. She had taken some antihistamines to help with her headache, and slept on her bed with a bag of ice resting on her bruise.

Beast Boy only needed minimal care for some minor burns and had to be checked for head trauma, which he was without. But after the Mind-Meld, he was exhausted, finding the nearest comfortable surface to flop down upon and rest his weary bones.

Raven had been left relatively unscathed, only a few scrapes dotting her body here and there. But like Beast Boy, she was left extremely tired from the entire Mind-Meld process. After taking a few minutes to grab the breakfast she missed, she retired to her bedroom to relax.

Luckily for her, she had company.

Raven had always prided herself in being a linguist. She could speak multiple languages flawlessly, knew the meaning of practically every word in the dictionary, and most of her power derived from being able to speak her mantra.

Beast Boy, on the other hand, wasn't exactly a scholar. Sure, he was no idiot, but he had a habit of sticking with the words he liked, and rarely venturing out of his comfort zone. Raven had actually created a 'Dude Jar' for him, requiring him to drop a quarter into a large container whenever he said the word 'Dude' around her. So far, he was up to nine and a half dollars.

In short, Raven had Beast Boy beat many times over in terms of the internal oral department.

Externally, however, Beast Boy dominated.

He was a charismatic speaker, portraying his charming and quirky nature well whenever he was in public, whether speaking to reporters or fans. Raven found it extremely difficult to speak in public, notorious for one word answers and the over-use of "I don't know."

Then, there was kissing.

Beast Boy was much more privy to kissing 'etiquette.' He knew when to keep things chaste and gentle, but he also knew when it was time to get a bit more passionate and frisky. He was proud of his so-called 'frenching' ability, and anyone who had been on the opposite end of a lip-lock with him always complimented this talent.

Raven, seeing as how the only people she had ever kissed were her mother and Beast Boy, was more of a rookie. She could count the amount of times she had been brave enough to try anything beyond a simple peck on one hand. She had a tendency to back out whenever Beast Boy gave her an invitation to a more sultry form of lip-to-lip affection, and in the rare cases that she didn't, she was quite passive, usually just parting her lips and allowing her boyfriend to make all the necessary movements.

But today, she had made an exception for herself. Beast Boy had not only proven that he had the mental strength to handle a Mind-Meld, but he had also controlled his anger remarkably. She was quite proud of him and herself for managing the latter as well. So today, she promised him a more active partner.

The two lay, wrapped up in Raven's bedspread, arms curled about each other's bodies and lips firmly attached. Their tongues were wrestling playfully, challenging each other to best them in a friendly match. Beast Boy had also taken the opportunity to tousle Raven's hair. He savored the way it felt when it softly ran through his fingers.

She also smelled wonderful. Not due to any fragrance or soap, although he loved her Lady Luck perfume, but it was the natural, musky scent that only his heightened sense of smell could really appreciate. It was purely organic, but had a level of feminine delicacy that was distinctly hers.

Raven had a habit of playing with his pointed ears whenever they were close like this. She enjoyed curling them downward, then releasing them so they sprang back into place instantaneously. They were also velvety thanks to the fine, fuzzy hair on the back of them. Even though she wouldn't admit it, he was right: chicks did dig the ears. At least, this one did.

Beast Boy took a moment to separate himself from Raven, then tilted his head to the right and leaned into her neck. Carefully, as to avoid cutting her with his fangs, he nibbled the velvety, cool to the touch skin.

Raven's head dipped backwards inadvertently and she let out a soft moan. All at once, the lamp on her bedside table rattled and fell over.

Retracting instantly, Beast Boy looked to see if there was any damage, then turned back to Raven sheepishly.

"Couldn't help myself." He said apologetically.

"No big deal. I guess you should take it as a compliment." Raven replied.

Beast Boy grinned and moved in to kiss her again, but Raven stopped his advance with two fingers pressed against his lips.

"I think we've had enough for now." She said gently.

Beast Boy sighed, crestfallen. "Not even a little?" he wheedled.

"Maybe later, if you're on your best behavior." Raven said.

Beast Boy crossed his arms and frowned mightily. "You know, I don't appreciate the down-talking. You're not that much older than me, and I'm eighteen, so you don't need to be so… condescending."

"Since when do you use such fancy words?"

"Since I started dating the biggest Grammar Nazi on the face of the planet."

Raven scoffed. "Look, we'll have some time together later, but right now, I'd really like some solitude."

Beast Boy's face brightened. "That reminds me! I have something for you!" He leapt from the bed and hurried out of the dormitory, returning quickly with a small envelope.

"Happy 2 Month Anniversary." He said, his face coloring slightly with a genuine smile.

Raven was shocked that he remembered.

"Sorry it's a bit belated, I meant to give it to you yesterday, but, you know, bad weather."

"No problem. I'm flattered you went to the trouble to even get me something. Thanks." Raven replied, taking the envelope with one hand and examining it with both. The envelope was blank save for the words 'For Raven' written neatly in black ink. Raven gingerly opened it up, revealing a small card inside.

She smirked at the cheesy joke on the front and opened the card, a small folded up piece of paper falling onto her lap. Ignoring it for the moment, she read the writing inside out loud.

"Hey, I know how much you hate it when I get all mushy, so let me just say that you've been the best girlfriend I've ever had, and I think I'm starting to feel a little more than serious about you."

Another message was written in a different color, clearly written at a different time.

"P.S.- Don't ever be afraid to show me how you feel. I'm here."

"P.S.S- I know you're gonna kill me for this, but you're kind of cute when you cry. But you still owe me a new shirt."

Raven rolled her eyes, but couldn't keep a small grin off of her face.

"Thanks, you insensitive moron." She replied, which elicited a mischievous wink from the changeling. She then picked up the bit of paper that fell from the card and unfolded it.

It was revealed to be two pieces of paper, and they each read 'The Amphitheatre.'

"That place you like is having a Friday the 13th marathon, and I got us some tickets to the first show tomorrow night! You know, for old time's sake."

Beast Boy was quite proud of himself for managing such a personal gift that they both could enjoy. But Raven didn't look the least bit impressed. In fact, she looked more upset.

"Wh-what's the matter?" he stammered. "You don't like it?"

"No, I do, I really do. But…" Raven leaned over, still under the covers, and opened the drawer on her bedside table. She extracted two identical tickets and held them up.

"Apparently, we think alike." She said.

Beast Boy stared vacantly for a few moments, his mouth hanging open. He then snickered once and collapsed into peals of laughter. Raven joined him in his mirth, and the two laughed hard for a solid half-minute. After it subsided, Beast Boy shrugged.

"What should we do, then?"

"Well, I guess we could each get a refund for one of our tickets…" Raven suggested.

"Or, we could see if someone wants to come with us."

"Who?"

"I saw Starfire watching New Nightmare yesterday."

Beast Boy hopped up onto the bed.

"You go ahead and get a refund for one of yours. This is supposed to be my treat."

Raven crossed her legs beneath the comforter. "Thanks. Not just for that, I mean, for everything you've said over these past few days, for Mind-Melding, for keeping me company last night… just…thank you."

Beast Boy grinned. "No biggie."

Raven roped him into a hug, pulling him backwards.

"You're never this modest with anyone."

"Don't expect it too often."

***A/N* Now ain't that sweet? I like a little bit of sugar with my spice, since writing straight up sauce is dissatisfying. See y'all next time. *A/N***


	8. Partly Cloudy

***A/N* So, we've reached the end of another story. This one has been a little more difficult to write, I must admit. But I'm quite proud of what I've produced. I also decided to give more of a bittersweet ending this time around, since this story was substantially darker than the last installment. Enjoy! *A/N***

Dr. Gustavos Scissors sat in the spotless waiting room of Cedar Grove Sanitarium, idly flipping through an outdated gossip magazine. A woman next to him clutched her purse for dear life, almost as if she was afraid that an insane person was lurking around the corner, waiting to greet her with a shiv.

She jumped when the receptionist called her name, hurrying over to the desk and exchanging quiet, heated words with her before a muscular orderly escorted her through the double doors to see whoever she had come to visit.

Dr. Scissors looked back down at his magazine, skimming an article highlighting the drug-fueled escapades of some brainless starlet nobody cared to remember. A few more minutes passed before the receptionist called him up to the counter.

"Dr. Gustavos Scissors. You're here to visit your nephew?" she said crisply.

"Yes. I take it the modifications I made to his inhibitor dial have prevented any attempted escapes?" Dr. Scissors inquired.

"There haven't been any emergencies in the past week." The receptionist replied. "Mr. Down will escort you to his room."

Another orderly beckoned him over and led him through the double doors into the almost uncomfortably shiny white hallway beyond. Walking in silence save for the faint clattering of machinery coming from the belly of the Sanitarium, Dr. Scissors spoke up.

"Has his behavior been satisfactory?" he queried. The orderly nodded.

"So far, he's been very cooperative." The orderly replied. "Matter of fact, he's barely said a word since he got here."

"And he hasn't associated with any of the other patients?"

"No sir, he's been in solitary for the entirety of his stay so far."

"That's good."

The two rounded a corner to another door. Through the entryway was a large room, one side separated by a large Plexi-glass window, a desk below it with a few chairs and speaker grilles attached to the glass.

Three people were behind the glass, two men in white stood side by side, and another man sat in front of them, his back facing the window.

"There he is." The orderly said, meaning to sound friendly, but unable to hide the warning tone in his voice.

Dr. Scissors approached the glass, the two orderlies gesturing to Anton, who slowly spun about in his chair to face his uncle. He was wearing a pale green asylum gown, silver handcuffs, and a disinterested expression.

Dr. Scissors sat himself down and clicked the 'Speak' button on the desk in front of him.

"Hello, Anton. How are you?" Gustavos said welcomingly.

Weatherman gave no response, other than unflinching eye contact and a brief sharp suckling of his teeth.

"I hear you've been well-behaved, I'm proud of you. At this rate, you'll be out of solitary confinement in no time."

Anton refused to respond once again, and never broke eye contact with his Uncle.

"Anton, I understand that you're angry with me for placing you in this facility. But I promise you, that the people here aren't your enemies. They'll help you change."

Weatherman raised an eyebrow and finally moved forward, clicking the 'Speak' button.

"You think I'm mad at you?" he asked.

"You aren't angry?" his Uncle asked back.

"Are you kidding? Uncle Gus, you've got things twisted." He said, chuckling.

Gustavos couldn't believe what he was hearing. Had all of this carnage really been a cry for help?

"Where would I be _without_ you? If you hadn't picked me up from the clink two months ago, I would still be the son of a Father I never knew and a Mother who wanted nothing to do with me."

"Anton, what are you talking about?" Gustavos asked pointedly.

"These past few days have been the highlight of my entire life! I didn't start living until I picked up this." Anton gestured to his chest.

"Without you, I would've just been another face on the street. Just some repressed punk who tried lighting a guy's house on fire. I would've been Anton Terrell Scissors. But he's gone now, Gustavos. Don't you see?"

"Anton, don't talk like that! You know that you're much more than that to me."

"Oh, it ain't just you, Gus. It's the entire goddamn city! Have you seen the news? Read the paper? I'm an honest-to-God celebrity! People all over are talking about Weatherman! The super-villain who took on the Teen Titans and nearly won!"

Anton threw his head back with delight. "And have you _seen_ the way they treat me here? I get my own room, my own Doctor, I got people who get paid to watch me 24/7! These two?" He gestured to the now uncomfortable orderlies flanking his side. "They take time out of their lives to tuck me into bed and get me food every day! I've never had it this good!"

Dr. Scissors was in complete shock. Attention. That was all his nephew ever wanted. All those years of neglect had let his hunger grow to hideous proportions. He never had any material motivation for stealing the LTAS-I and attacking innocents. As long as the News dedicated some of their precious minutes to him, or the Press wanted to know everything about his life, or five of the most powerful, respected members of Jump City used some of their energy and effort to put a stop to _him_, he was happy.

"You see, Uncle Gus, Anton Scissors is who I used to be. Not anymore. I've woken up. I am Weatherman, and I won't be ignored."

Dr. Scissors had nothing more to say to his nephew. He quietly said his farewells to the elated patient, and watched helplessly as he gladly went with the two orderlies back into bowels of the Sanitarium. Mr. Down escorted him back into the lobby, and the receptionist wished him a pleasant day. He felt no need to respond as he exited through the sliding glass door, walking to his Jeep. Unlocking the vehicle and sitting himself in the driver's seat. Putting the key in the ignition, he froze. He remained stock still for a few moments, before wilting onto the steering wheel and crumbling into tears.

"Anton…" he gasped. "Anton… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Anton."

2:00 AM

Beast Boy did his best to stifle a yawn as he exited the Amphitheater. The Friday the 13th marathon had started at 12:00 PM that afternoon, and eight movies later, with a half-hour break between Part 4 and Part 5, the credits for Part 8 were just now rolling.

"Tired?" Raven asked, her hood pulled up as they walked down the sidewalk, the streets still buzzing with cars.

"You're not?" Beast Boy replied, rubbing his eyes.

"This is far from the longest I've gone without sleep. I've pulled off two days and nights once."

"Why?"

"I was reading Dostoyevsky, and I simply lost track of the time." She replied, with a touch of embarrassment.

"Jeez. Well… did you have a good time tonight?" the changeling inquired.

"Yes. I was about to ask you the same question. I noticed that you fell asleep through most of Part 8."

Beast Boy shrugged. "Come on, can you blame me? I mean, 'Jason Takes Manhattan,' really? That's the best they could come up with? Can't wait for 'Jason's Luau of Death!'"

Raven allowed herself a quiet, girlish chortle. He was probably too tired to notice.

"That would still be better than 'Jason X,' where he goes to space."

"That's the problem with most of these horror movies. They always have to do something stupid, like send the axe-wielding looney to Saturn or Cancun or something." Beast Boy complained.

"Well, everybody runs out of ideas at some point. Personally, I'm somewhat impressed that they managed to milk the idea that long."

Raven noticed the frown on her boyfriend's face. "You…did enjoy yourself?"

Beast Boy's ears perked up as he turned his frown into a smile. "I'm not mad or anything, I'm just tired. Yeah, I did! The others were pretty awesome, but it got so late, and the last one sucked."

"I agree. You picked the right one to sleep through... Do you mind if I ask you which one was your favorite?"

Beast Boy scratched his head. "Ummm… that's hard. They all kinda started to blend together…. You first."

Raven took a moment to ponder. "…Probably Part 4. I appreciate that the acting wasn't laughable, and that it included black comedy without becoming a cartoon. The gore was satisfying, too. Very unadulterated."

Beast Boy raised his eyebrows incredulously at this last part before shaking his head.

"You are one twisted sister, you know that?"

Raven simply gave Beast Boy a smirk.

"You still haven't answered my question." She said.

Beast Boy thought long and hard, trying to remember which movie was which and whether or not it was Jason or someone else doing the slashing.

"OK, I got it. Part 7."

"'The New Blood?' Interesting choice." Raven said. "Why?"

Beast Boy bit his lip. "Do you want me to be upfront?"

"I'll get an answer out of you either way."

"True. Okay, I know this is corny, but… It kind of reminded me of you."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "A movie about a rotting, water-logged serial killer in a hockey mask reminds you of me? How flattering."

"No no no, not like that. I mean, like, the main chick, she's psychic, and she gets all destructive when she gets mad, but at the end, she was using her powers for good to help that other dude and kill Jason. It's like a…a…parallel, you know? Between you and your powers and how they sometimes control you, but you can, well, I mean you do, I just-"

Raven placed a palm on his mouth. "Don't hurt yourself. Leave the thematic analysis to someone who actually has a brain."

Beast Boy scowled and brushed her hand away. "She wasn't as catty as you are, though."

"Come on, I was just kidding." Raven replied dismissively, but her face fell when she saw the expression on his face. Since he was so tired, he was overreacting to his emotions.

"Garfield, seriously."

"You know, I bend over backwards to be nice to you, and you just kick dirt in my face every time. What do I have to do to, huh?" he snapped, crossing his arms and looking away.

Raven exhaled. He may have blown her joke out of proportion, but she couldn't hide her guilt about hurting his feelings. Maybe he was right, being so rude all the time probably did wear on his nerves.

"Garfield…"

"What?" he replied bitterly.

"That card you gave me yesterday afternoon… I just wanted to say, that I feel the same way."

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean, I think I feel more than 'serious,' as well."

Beast Boy stopped in his tracks when the words finally sunk in.

"Wait… you mean…"

"I know it's rather premature… but… would you be comfortable with me saying that I think I'm falling in love with you?" Raven said, the shadows of her hood unable to hire her fiery blush.

Beast Boy's eyes became as wide as quarters as his mouth fluttered open dimly.

He gave no response, his flushed cheeks eventually shaping into a small smile. He put an arm around Raven's shoulders and she replied in kind, garnishing the move of affection with a small kiss on the side of his cheek. The two spent the rest of the walk home in silence, since words weren't powerful enough to express the complex blend of emotions swirling around them. The two Superheroes disappeared into the night as they passed the final street lamp, rounding the corner to the dirt road that led to the Tower.

***A/N* So... I've written everything I've wanted to write about for this couple, but I feel as though I'd be leaving a lot of people behind if I moved on. So, my next story is going to be a request-fic! If you want to see an idea of yours put on paper, PM me a BBRae idea, and if it's concise, clever, and clear, I'll write a one-shot about it. **

**Anyhow, it's really been a treat to write these two stories, and I never thought they would grow to be this popular. Thanks so much to everybody who's followed their development, it means a whole lot to a wannabe Chaucer like me. I guess I'll see you guys around, and please, don't be shy to PM me an idea, I am a non-judgmental individual, I'll be happy to consider any idea (within the realm of decency, of course.) Thanks again, all you wonderful people! *A/N* **


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